Published 16:51 IST, July 11th 2019
Kevin Pietersen calls Rishabh Pant's shot-selection 'Pathetic', finds himself facing Yuvraj Singh
Rishabh Pant played a crucial inning for the Men in Blue in the semi-final contest against New Zealand at the Old Trafford, Manchester but was unfortunate to have gotten out at 32 runs
Rishabh Pant played a crucial inning for the Men in Blue in the semi-final contest against New Zealand at the Old Trafford, Manchester but was unfortunate to have gotten out at 32 runs. After the top-order collapsed due to the brutal pace attack of the Kiwis, Pant along with Hardik Pandya helped India to get the scoreboard ticking with occasional boundaries and regular rotation of the strike.
The swashbuckling young lad, who came into the team as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan, made 32 runs off 56 deliveries, with four boundaries to his name. Just while he looked confident and well-adjusted to the pitch, he took the aerial route with a wild swing and ended up getting caught by Colin deGrandhomme. As Pant lost his wicket, skipper Virat Kohli, visibly infuriated with the batsman giving away his wicket, was seen exchanging words with coach Ravi Shastri.
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen took to Twitter to complain about Pant's shot selection and said that it was a pathetic moment and the very reason why Pant was not picked for the team earlier. Read the tweet here:
Kevin Pietersen was given a befitting reply by former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who came out in support of young Rishab Pant and said that the left-handed batsman had played only a few games and hence lacked the experience. Throwing his weight behind the youngster, Yuvraj said that it wasn't pathetic at all. Read Yuvraj's tweet here:
Pietersen substantiated his earlier tweet and said that his criticism stemmed from his frustration and that the batsman was seen doing the same thing on multiple occasions. He said that Pant needs to learn quickly. Read his tweet here:
Yuvraj Singh, who initially backed the youngster, agreed that Pant needs to improve his game and it had to be done quickly.
New Zealand beat India by 18 runs to confirm a spot in the semi-finals of the World Cup at Lord's, London on July 14.
Updated 18:49 IST, July 11th 2019