[Watch] Virat Kohli spotted chatting with Rishabh Pant ahead of IND vs AFG 3rd T20I

Virat Kohli was spotted chatting with Rishabh Pant a day before the third T20I between India and Afghanistan scheduled for Wednesday, January 17 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Pant spends considerable time at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru as he nears full fitness.

In a video doing rounds on X (formerly Twitter), Kohli was seen engaging in a brief chat with Pant during the pre-match practice session.

Watch the interaction below:

Kohli recently made his comeback to India’s T20I squad after a year-long gap since the 2022 T20I World Cup. The right-handed batter smashed 29 runs off 16 balls in the second match against Afghanistan.

Pant is not a part of the India squad for the ongoing home T20I series against Afghanistan. The 26-year-old is yet to play competitive cricket since his life-threatening accident in December 2023. The regular Delhi Capitals captain is likely to play in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.

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“If Rishabh Pant is fit on even one leg, he should come in the team” – Sunil Gavaskar on India squad for 2024 T20 World Cup

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar wants Rishabh Pant in India's squad for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup in June. The cricketer-turned-commentator also picked KL Rahul as his second-choice wicketkeeper for the showpiece ICC event in the USA and the West Indies.

Gavaskar recently told Star Sports:

“I see him (KL Rahul) as a wicketkeeper as well but I will say one thing before that – if Rishabh Pant is fit on even one leg, he should come in the team because he is a game-changer in every format. If I am the selector, I will put his name first.”

He added:

“However, if Pant is unavailable and KL Rahul keeps wickets, it will be good because the balance will also get created. Then you have the option to play him as an opener or use him in the middle order. He is an all-rounder and he has improved his wicketkeeping so much... He is a proper wicketkeeper.”

KL Rahul didn’t find a place in India’s T20I squad for the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. He is yet to play a T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup.