Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri was summoned by the team management to present Rishabh Pant with the medal for best fielder following the Men in Blue’s six-run victory against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 in New York on Sunday, June 9. When the ODI World Cup began last year, fielding coach T Dilip established a custom of rewarding outstanding fielding exploits in each match.
With just 119 runs to defend, India needed to be great in the field to put pressure on Pakistan, which they did. In a video broadcast by the BCCI, Dilip praises the players for their desperation on the pitch.
The fielding coach also praised Suryakumar Yadav for his stunning catch in the slips to remove Babar Azam and Arshdeep Singh for catching a spinning ball to eliminate Iftikhar Ahmed.
Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, received the prize for taking three catches, the most difficult of which was to remove Fakhar Zaman. Ravi Shastri performed the honor of presenting the award to the wicketkeeper.
Here’s a video:
In the film, Shastri also discussed Pant’s challenges during his 14-month recuperation from a devastating vehicle accident in December 2022.
The former head coach was pleasantly pleased by Pant’s speedy recovery, which he attributed to the player’s devotion.
Ravi Shastri shares his thoughts on India’s win
Despite being underdogs for much of the second innings, India limited Pakistan to 113/7.
Shastri believes that the Men in Blue’s never-say-die spirit and ability to capitalize on key situations helped them win the game.
“A typical India-Pakistan game where the pendulum swings from one side to another. In the end, it is the team that seizes the big moments, holds their nerve, they come out on top,” he said in the same video.
Ravi Shastri
Jasprit Bumrah delivered yet another stellar performance emerging as the standout among Indian bowlers by registering impressive figures of 3/14. This exceptional display places the Men in Blue on the brink of securing a spot in the Super 8 phase.
Pakistan finds itself in the critical situation of needing to secure victories in their last two matches by considerable margins. Their hopes rely on the USA losing both games for any chance of progressing to the subsequent phase.