Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will be leading the Indian cricket team in the much-awaited five-match t20I series after KL Rahul was ruled out on the eve of the match because of a groin injury.
Rishabh Pant To Lead Team India
KL Rahul, who was expected to lead team India for the five-match T20I series against South Africa was unfortunately ruled out with a right groin injury, prompting the selectors to give Rishabh Pant an opportunity to lead the team.
It is a great opportunity for the 24-year-old to make it big in the series as a captain. He will be getting a loud reception for sure at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday when the Indian cricket team will be locking its horns with South Africa in the first t20I match as this is the city where he has played most of his cricket.
Nitish Rana wrote a beautiful message for Rishabh
Ahead of the first t20I match tonight, Indian cricketer Nitish Rana took to his social media and shared a special tweet for the young keeper-batter. In his Tweet, Nitish expressed how captaining your nation is one of the greatest dreams of any cricketer. He also expressed how he is proud of Rishabh Pant. He wrote:
“@RishabhPant17 Captaining your nation is one of the greatest dream a cricketer has, and I could not be more proud of you, bhai! Good wishes to you and the boys 
#INDvsSA”
Check out the Tweet:
@RishabhPant17 Captaining your nation is one of the greatest dream a cricketer has, and I could not be more proud of you, bhai!
Good wishes to you and the boys#INDvsSA
— Nitish Rana (@NitishRana_27) June 9, 2022
Meanwhile, on the eve of the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Rishabh Pant expressed his emotions on being named as the captain of team India for the series. He said:
“It’s a great feeling getting this opportunity in your hometown, there’s nothing bigger opportunity than this and I’ll try to make the most of it,”
He added: “I haven’t been able to digest it yet, didn’t come under the best of circumstances but at the same time I’m very happy,”
India squad:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (C), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya (VC), Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.
South Africa squad:
Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen and Marco Jansen.
