Rishabh Pant candidate along with Hardik Pandya to get India vice-captaincy for T20 World Cup 2024 – Reports

Rishabh Pant returned to cricketing action after 14 months.

In a groundbreaking development, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya are being considered by Indian team management for the vice-captain position in the Indian squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Rishabh Pant may be in strong contention for a leadership position in the Indian T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, with only a few days till the team is selected.

The national selectors are set to gather on May 1 to explore re-appointing Pant as India’s vice-captain, a post he held before being forced into a lengthy injury break following a near-fatal tragedy in December 2022.

Pant also captained India in a five-match T20I series against South Africa in June 2022. For the record, he will be India’s first-choice wicket-keeper for the T20 World Cup in June.

Pant has also been consistent with the bat for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, scoring 371 runs at a mind-boggling average of 46.38 and a strike rate of 160.61.

Hardik Pandya’s fitness and poor performance as MI captain hinders his candidature for India vice-captaincy

To be noted, Rishabh Pant had impressed one and all with his leadership skills in IPL for DC and was looked at one of the contenders for vice captaincy of Indian team. This was before he met with the unfortunate accident in December 2022.

Then first choice players focused on ODI cricket in the World Cup year and with Hardik Pandya doing well as Gujarat Titans captain, leading them to IPL 2022 title, the Indian management handed him the T20I captaincy in Rohit’s absence.

However, in focus is Pandya’s fitness and performance currently as Mumbai Indians captain in IPL 2024. Some of his questionable captaincy actions, as well as his public criticism of a teammate following a recent defeat, are unlikely to go overlooked.

Nonetheless, Pandya’s credentials as India’s captain cannot be disregarded. He was named deputy captain for the World Cup last year. Pandya’s ability to bowl at a respectable pace is clearly advantageous, and his place in the squad is secure, but whether he can be given the leadership role will be contested.

In addition to this, Pandya has not bowled consistently and has been injured a couple of times since his return to cricket in 2022. He missed half of the World Cup 2023 after injuring his ankle and only returned to action just before the IPL 2024.

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