• Source:JND
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Comeback wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been backed by two legends of the games - Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly - for getting a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad.

Delhi Capitals captain Pant has returned to action in the IPL 2024 after missing the 2023 due to a life-threatening car crash. The right-handed batter has made his comeback in the season but is yet to fire at full potential in the tournament. With the T20 extravaganza nearly one-and-a-half-month away, the doubt persists over his spot in the T20 squad.

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Ganguly has picked Pant as a must for the T20 World Cup while Ponting added that his batting is improving with each passing game.

"Yes, I think so, Pant should be part of the World Cup squad. He should bat in the middle order. Where exactly is difficult to say because of match-ups, right-left combinations depending on who bowls. It also depends on the situation," ESPNcricinfo quoted Ganguly as saying on Monday

Ponting feels Pant is 'too good of a player' and can make an impact for Rohit Sharma-led side in the showpiece tournament in the West Indies and the USA.

"He's starting to get a bit more trust and belief in his body as well. I think early on he had been a little bit apprehensive as to what he could do, especially with the wicketkeeping side of it. With his batting, coming into the tournament, he had pretty good trust in his abilities," Ponting said.

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"I think his batting is getting better and better by the game. I've been asked a lot already over the last couple of weeks, now that he's back and playing, what I think about his World Cup chances. I think he'll be in the squad for sure. I think he's too good of a player and can have too much of an impact on the game. He's the heartbeat and soul [of Delhi Capitals] and hopefully from here on, he can help us win some more games," he added.

The 25-year-old has scored 254 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 150.29. Pant has batted in the middle order for Delhi Capitals and also kept wickets for the side in all games so far. He will face stiff competition from Sanju Samson, KL Rahul and Jitesh Sharma for the gloves duty.

Delhi will take on Gujarat Titans at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday, April 24.