India and New Zealand are playing against each other in the second of the three-match T20I series at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The hosts’ skipper Kane Williamson has won the flip of the coin and decided to bowl first at the bowling-friendly turf of the Bay Oval. Batting first, India lost the first wicket on the score of 50 runs in 6.4 overs before the rain stopped play.
In a line of changes in the batting order, the stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya asked Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant to open the innings for the men in blue. Pant, who is going through a lean patch with the bat in the shortest format of the game since the Asia Cup 2022, has failed once again to deliver up to the expectations and fell to Lockie Ferguson only on the individual score of 6 runs.
Subsequently, another poor outing from the 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter hasn’t gone down in better taste with the Indian fans who were continuously demanding a change in the lineup following an embarrassing debacle in the 20-20 World Cup 2022. Some of the Indian fans took to Twitter to lash out at the Delhi batter and they happened to urge the Indian cricket Board to drop Rishabh Pant.
Here's how fans reacted:
Kb tk dhoye ise #RishabhPant
— Vishnu (@rajkqrt) November 20, 2022
Dear BCCI give a break to Rishabh Pant 😐
— Vishal Shinde (@Vishal_Fantasy) November 20, 2022
Completely out of touch 🙃
This guy has played 62 T20 international and some people still call him young 🥲#RishabhPant #INDvsNZ #crickettwitter
Biggest fraud Rishabh Pant great inning 6 runs in just 13 balls.
— Prakash Bhujang (@prakashb2292) November 20, 2022
Good parchi player#INDvsNZ #RishabhPant
What an another cracking innings by #RishabhPant in T20 match against New Zealand 😂6 runs from 13 ball… Outstanding ✌️
— SAJAY SUBRAMANIAN (@SAJSOBH) November 20, 2022
Just a question. How many mores chances Rishabh Pant will get? Isn’t it enough now? It’s heartbreaking to see Sanju Samson being ignored all the time. #RishabhPant #SanjuSamson #INDvsNZ #NZvsIND #BCCI
— Ansh Rathore (@ianshrathore) November 20, 2022
what a great knock by Rishabh pant he just missed his century by 94 runs #INDvsNZ #RishabhPant #SanjuSamson #NZvIND
— Agyaat Balak (@Agyaat__Balak) November 20, 2022
Pant is useless. Get rid of him.
— कौवा कान ले गया 🦅 (@nitkgpian) November 20, 2022
13 balls 6 runs. What a useless player. #RishabhPant #INDvsNZ #IndianCricketTeam
Well played... Future indian Captain #INDvsNZ #RishabhPant #iyer #SanjuSamson https://t.co/odhD5s3Xt2
— shreyas (@shreyasiyer41_) November 20, 2022
#RishabhPant is still in Australia mode..
— Suryakant Kumar (@suryathesad) November 20, 2022
Well played pilla bacha pant....😂😂 #RishabhPant @alwaysnanisai2
— Chills Pawan (@ChillsPawan2) November 20, 2022
The relationship of Pant and Maggie continues... #RishabhPant
— rohan (@rohan_csk) November 20, 2022
Speaking of the match so far, the Indians have posted a total of 50 runs for the loss of a wicket of Rishabh Pant. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav are there in the middle for the men in blue with respective scores of 28 and 6 runs, respectively.
Lockie Ferguson has scalped a wicket for the hosts by conceding 14 runs in his two overs. Other than Ferguson, Tim Southee and Adam Milne have bowled 2 overs each and conceded 12 and 14 runs, respectively.