Whenever I hear National Anthem, especially when I am wearing India jersey, it gives me goosebumps: Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has been in stupendous form since returning from a horrific car accident. The southpaw made his comeback to competitive cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 and finished as the leading run-getter for the Delhi Capitals. Pant received a call-up to the Indian team for the T20 World Cup and played a swashbuckling knock of 36 not out off 26 balls against Ireland.

Ahead of India's upcoming high-voltage clash against Pakistan on Sunday, June 9, the revered wicketkeeper-batter expressed his feelings while singing the National Anthem, wearing the India jersey, ahead of the matches.

"Whenever I hear the National Anthem, especially when I am wearing India jersey, it gives me goosebumps. Because it is a proud moment as an individual to get an opportunity to represent your country, an opportunity to do well. When the match starts, everyone has an equal chance to do well. Every day, you can do something nice in your life. I'm thankful for the opportunities I've got in life from where I can do well," Pant said while speaking to Star Sports.

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Can Rishabh Pant continue his rich vein of form against Pakistan?

Pant will look to continue his purple patch when the Men in Blue take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a crucial Group A fixture at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The 26-year-old has played just two T20Is against Pakistan and scored 53 runs.

The Haridwar-born has been given the important position of No. 3 in the batting order. He has batted in the said position on seven occasions in T20Is and scored 153 runs at an average of 38.25 and a strike rate of 129.66. However, he is yet to register a half-century from this position.

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India played four all-rounders - Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja in the last game and this gave their batting a lot of depth. This gives Pant the license to play his natural aggressive game from the get-go.