T20 World Cup 2024: 3 positive takeaways from India’s victory against Ireland

2. Rishabh Pant makes a stellar comeback

It was the kind of comeback that Rishabh Pant was actually manifesting it in the first place. When he ran through a career-threatening car accident back in December 2022, he was out of competitive action for quite a long time. Finally, he made a comeback through IPL 2024, scoring 446 runs in 13 games.

The attacking left-hander who played his first international game after quite a long time came out to bat at No.3. It was not that easy to adapt to the conditions after coming one down but he assessed the conditions well before he went about his work. His comeback was worth applauding as he chipped in with an unbeaten 36 off 26 (3 fours, 2 sixes). He helped the team get over the victory line.

3. Hardik Pandya regains confidence

Hardik Pandya was subject to trolls and criticism for his performances in IPL 2024. However, when he donned the Indian jersey, he was totally a different player altogether. He scored an unbeaten 40 off 23 including 2 fours and 4 sixes. The all-rounder grew from strength to strength in the team’s opening fixture against Ireland.

The 30-year-old took 3 wickets, conceding 27 runs in his full quota of four overs. He bowled a maiden over and maintained an economy of 6.80. It is good to see him gaining a great deal of confidence in the game, which will help him to do even better against Pakistan at the same venue on June 9, Sunday.

Read more: IPL 2024: 5 deserving players who did not get a single game