If you need to pick one player from the current Indian team who never loses his smile and sense of humour whatever be the situation, it has to be Rishabh Pant, who celebrates his 27th birthday on October 4.
Most famous for his knock in the 2021 Brisbane Test, which ended Australia’s dominance at the Gabba, the year 2024 has been a special one for the attacking wicketkeeper-batsman as he returned to international cricket after more than a year since his horrific car accident in December 2022.
In the recently concluded home Test series against Bangladesh, which India swept 2-0, Pant made his Test comeback and announced it with his sixth Test century to join the legendary MS Dhoni for most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper.
The ton positioned Pant as India’s first-choice Test wicketkeeper-batsman once again, which will strengthen Rohit Shama & Co’s defence of the Border Gavaskar Trophy later this year in Australia.
The five-Test series commencing in the second half of November will bring back memories of Pant’s 89 not out to script a memorable victory for India in Brisbane three years ago when the visitors chased a daunting 328 while playing with an understrength team.
Talking about Pant’s comeback this year, he marked his return to competitive cricket with the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he once again led Delhi Capitals. The Delhi franchise had picked Pant in the 2016 IPL auction.
Pant’s biggest moment in his new lease of life as a cricketer came in June this year when he was part of India’s T20 World Cup triumph in the US and the Caribbean islands, where India defeated South Africa in a thrilling final to become the T20 champions once again after 17 years.
The left-handed batsman from Delhi has so far played 35 Tests, 31 ODIs and 76 T20Is, scoring 2432, 871 and 1209 runs respectively.