India vs New Zealand T20: Why was Rishabh Pant wearing a tape on his jersey in 2nd T20I?

On Friday, India defeated New Zealand to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series and effectively win the bilateral competition with only one game to go. The Rohit Sharma-led side played some exceptional cricket under the guidance of their new head coach Rahul Dravid. India won its first match in Jaipur and then went on to thrash the Kiwis in Ranchi, where they played the second T20I. The third T20I match is scheduled to be played in Kolkata on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, since the second T20I encounter in Ranchi, when Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was spotted wearing a jersey with tape on his right chest, there is one concern that has been plaguing everyone. Why was Pant wearing a jersey with tape on it? It has been revealed that Pant used the tape to conceal the official emblem of the just-finished ICC T20 World Cup. The explosive batter appeared to be wearing his T20 World Cup jersey and covering the ICC insignia with tape, which is not permitted for use in bilateral matches.

India vs New Zealand

As far as the series against New Zealand is concerned, India won the first match by 5 wickets after suffering a brief stutter towards the backend of the second innings. Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged the player of the match for his outstanding innings. India entered the second T20I with just one change in the form of Harshal Patel. The lanky pacer was included in the squad in place of Mohammed Siraj, who suffered an injury in the first match. India went on to win the game by 7 wickets. 

Harshal Patel was impressive on his debut as he picked two wickets to his name. Indian bowlers managed to restrict New Zealand to 153/6 in 20 overs and then the batters came and chased down the target in style. Both KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma smashed a half-century each before Rishabh Pant came in and finished it off for the Men in Blue. Patel was adjudged the player of the match for his extraordinary spell with the ball despite the dew factor. The third T20I match is slated to begin at 7:00 pm tonight. 

Image: BCCI