T20 world cup finals: Sanjay Manjrekar selects this player as wildcard for India and South Africa clash

As everyone waits for the final clash of T20 World Cup, Rishabh Pant was selected as the "wildcard" member for India team by former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, ahead of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.

After the fatal acciedent, explosive left-handed hitter came back in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, leading Delhi Capitals. His outstanding performance earned him a call-up to the Indian squad of fifteen players for the major tournament.

Manjrekar identified Pant as the man to watch out for against South Africa on Saturday at Kensington Oval in Barbados.


"I think it will be, I think we will get a great idea about who the big match player is. I'm going to go with a wildcard and say Rishabh Pant will be the player to watch out for," Manjrekar, who features as an expert on the 'Caught and Bold' show on Disney+ Hotstar, told ANI.

About Pant:
Pant was promoted to the number three position while Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma moved up to the opening position. While taking the new role, Pant has performed superbly well after scoring 171 runs with a strike rate of 129.54 and an average of 28.50 in seven games.

In less than a year, head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit will face off in their third ICC tournament final, and Pant will be eager to turn things around for the Indian team. India is still pursuing the goal of winning a World Cup trophy.

Unbeaten India and South Africa are set to step into the Kensington Oval, looking to write the perfect ending to their story in the T20 World Cup final.

In just about a year, the duo of head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma will play their third final of an ICC tournament.

Australia inflicted heartbreak in the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship. But this time, as they look to find the perfect ending, Australia won't be there to spoil the party.

But Aiden Markram-led South Africa will be waiting for them, looking to play spoilsport and ensure India returns empty-handed despite their dominance.

Both teams have had a contrasting run in the tournament. The Rohit Sharma-led side has dominated each side that they have faced in the tournament, including heavyweights like Australia, Pakistan, and England.

While the Proteas have, on numerous occasions, escaped by a narrow margin en route to the final. Bangladesh and Nepal gave them a run for their money in the group stage. In their final game of the Super 8 against the co-hosts, the West Indies, they almost sealed their exit while chasing the revised target of 123.

(with agency and ToI inputs)