Rishabh Pant, India’s wicketkeeper-batter, attended his first net session with the team in New York ahead of the T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1. Pant returns to the Indian team for the main event after nearly 17 months away. He returned to professional cricket in April in the Indian Premier League, when he also led his team, the Delhi Capitals.

He not only played the entire season but also maintained wickets, despite recovering from multiple injuries inflicted in a tragic car accident. Commenting on his comeback to the Indian squad, the 26-year-old stated that he missed his colleagues during his recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is glad to be back with the team.

This is the one thing I missed a lot. Returning to the field with the Indian jersey on is a different feeling altogether. I think seeing the teammates and meeting them again, spending time, having fun with them, enjoying having conversations, really enjoying it, Pant said in a video posted by BCCI.

We are used to playing in certain countries but this is a different prospect. It has opened up a different channel for sport because I feel cricket is growing around the world and getting exposure in a country like the US would be nice for cricket as well as USA cricket, I guess, he added.

So just getting used to conditions over here and let us see how it goes. Hopefully, I make it count and make it better from here, Pant concluded. India will take on Ireland in their T20 World Cup opener on June 5 before the high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9.