Rishabh Pant, India’s stylish wicket keeper batsman, turned 24 on October 4th, 2020. Pant has been making waves in the cricket world since his debut in 2016, and has gone on to become a regular member of the Indian team. In this article, we take a look at his early life, breakthrough in domestic cricket, international debut, successful IPL career, controversies and criticisms and what lies ahead for him at the age of 24.
Early Life of Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant hails from Roorkee in Uttarakhand, and was born on October 4th, 1996. From a young age, he was recognized as a talented cricketer, and was selected to play for the Uttarakhand Under-16 team in 2012. He later represented India in the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, where he scored a century against Nepal and helped India reach the semi-finals.
Breakthrough in Domestic Cricket
Pant made his first-class debut in 2015, and soon established himself as a dependable batsman. He scored a hundred and three fifties in his first Ranji Trophy season, and was subsequently picked to play for India A. He scored centuries in both the unofficial Test and ODI series against South Africa A, and was also selected for India’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2016.
International Debut
Pant made his international debut in a T20I match against England in February 2017. He scored a quickfire 36 off 18 balls, and was named the man of the match. He made his ODI debut against the West Indies in October of the same year, and became the first Indian wicket-keeper batsman to score a century in a T20I match against the same opposition.
Successful IPL Career
Pant was signed by the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League in 2016, and was later acquired by the Delhi Capitals in 2018. He has since been an integral part of the team, scoring over 1000 runs in the IPL, including 3 centuries and 8 half-centuries. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 2019 IPL season.
Controversies and Criticisms
Pant has been embroiled in a few controversies throughout his career, the most notable of which was the alleged altercation with teammate Ravichandran Ashwin in the IPL in 2020. He has also been criticized for his inconsistency, particularly in Test matches.
