Watch- Rishabh Pant tries to injure Hardik Pandya, immediately gets scolded by Rohit Sharma

Published - 25 Jun 2024, 05:57 PM | Updated - 24 Aug 2024, 02:20 AM

Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya
Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya. Image Credit: X

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was not at his best behind the stumps during his team’s crucial Super-8 match against Australia in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Pant's missed catches left the Indian captain Rohit Sharma furious at him on many occasions at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia.

Even during the Australia cricket team’s chase in Saint Lucia, Pant’s direct throw might have hurt the in-form all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The wicketkeeper had unintentionally thrown the ball towards Pandya, and he was seen red-faced after the ball hit him so hard during the Super-8 clash on June 24.

Hardik Pandya shaken by Rishabh Pant's misdirected throw in India's ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Super-8 thriller against Australia

Even Rohit Sharma could not hide his anger after seeing Hardik writhing in pain, giving the Indian cricket team a major injury scare amid the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The incident happened in the fourth ball of the final over when Pandya delivered a slower back-of-length delivery in the Super-8 encounter.

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc attempted to guide it to the offside, but he failed to connect. Then, Pant collected the ball cleanly behind the stumps and threw it towards the wickets, but he narrowly missed dislodging the bails, and it went directly to Hardik. The ball hit Hardik's hands, causing him visible discomfort.

The Indian all-rounder was not happy at all, as he gestured towards Pant, indicating the force of the throw while shaking his hands. The Indian skipper, Rohit, also appeared frustrated by the incident.

Watch here how Rishabh Pant gives India and Hardik Pandya injury scare:

In another instance during the match, Rohit expressed his frustration at Pant. In the second inning at St. Lucia, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh attempted a pull shot against a bouncer from Jasprit Bumrah. The ball went high in the air behind the square leg, giving Pant a chance to catch it.

However, Pant stumbled and ended up deflecting the ball away with his gloves. Rohit reacted vocally to this incident, while Bumrah appeared visibly surprised by the missing golden chance. However, India won the game by 24 runs against Australia to qualify for the semifinals.

Nobody will be surprised if Rohit Sharma lifts the trophy: Sreesanth

The Men in Blue will face the defending champions, England, in the second semifinal of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday, June 27, at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. On the other hand, Afghanistan and South Africa will face each other in the first semifinal on the same day at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, former India fast bowler and two-time World Cup winner S. Sreesanth believes that Hardik has the potential to play a role for Team India in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, similar to what Yuvraj Singh did during their victorious 2011 ODI World Cup campaign.

Sreesanth said on Star Sports: “The last conference where Rohit Sharma said that Hardik Pandya is a key player in the team. What Yuvraj Singh did in 2011 as an all-rounder, with bat, with ball and his fielding, I think Hardik is very much capable of doing that in this T20 World Cup. I think none of us will be surprised if Rohit lifts the trophy.”