Watch: Kohli seen fuming at Ravi Shastri after Pant's dismissal
What's the story
India lost the semi-final encounter against New Zealand in the ICC World Cup 2019 on Wednesday as they crashed out of the tournament. The Men in Blue failed to chase down a target of 240. During the game, skipper Virat Kohli was seen fuming at head coach Ravi Shastri after Rishabh Pant's rush of blood moment. Here are the details.
Pant innings
Pant threw this wicket away against NZ
India were 5/3 during the chase and they needed Pant (55-ball 32) to prove his worth at number four. The youngster, who is known for his aggressiveness, started off well and played calmly. Just when India were looking more assured, Pant threw his wicket away. He kept defending Mitchell Santner in the 23rd over, before a heave off the fifth ball ended his stay.
Information
Kohli comes out and fires words at Shastri
Kohli, who was inside the dressing room, came out and headed straight towards head coach Ravi Shastri, who was seated at the balcony. Kohli was seen firing some words at Shastri and was clearly not pleased with Pant's decision.
Twitter Post
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Press conference
Kohli defends Pant in his press conference
Post India's defeat, Kohli was asked about Pant's shot-making, but the skipper defended the 21-year-old. "He is still young. I made many errors when I was young in my career and he will learn. He will look back and think yes, he could have chosen a different option in that situation and he realises that already," Kohli stated in the press conference.
Our take
Immature Pant will gain wisdom with time
Pant looks set to take over the reins as India's wicket-keeper batsman once MS Dhoni retires. He is expected to don the gloves of a finisher. At 21, Pant lacks the maturity to handle pressure. He came in as a replacement for Shikhar Dhawan in India's CWC squad. He is a rare talent and with time, he would learn how to negotiate tough conditions.