Rishabh Pant missed India’s training session on Saturday ahead of the highly-anticipated clash against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025. Vice-captain Shubman Gill provided the update that the southpaw power-hitter is down due to viral fever.
Pant is a part of the squad, however, his unavailability for the match on February 23 may not affect the playing XI combination. The wicketkeeper batter was not included in the tournament’s first clash against Bangladesh. KL Rahul was the preferred gloveman for the fixture. After Pant’s absence for the big clash, Rahul has cemented his already secured position in the playing XI. Furthermore, Pant was dropped from the recent home series against England too.
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After his freak road accident in December 2022, Pant’s selection has been limited. He missed the 2023 ODI World Cup as he was yet to fully recover from his injuries. Since his comeback, he has yet to score a fifty in the shorter formats for India. The dashing batter has played just one ODI game in the last 29 months. In that match against Sri Lanka in August 2024, Pant managed just seven runs. Overall in his ODI career of 31 matches, Pant has maintained a strike rate of 106.21 at an average of 33.50.
From the Indian team management perspective, though Rahul has a lower strike of 87.74, his average of 48.26 makes him the preferred wicketkeeper. Furthermore, the Karnataka-born’s flexibility to play at any spot from No.1 to No.6 adds to his advantage.
The cricket think tank has debated far and wide on the best wicketkeeper option for India. Presently, KL Rahul has proved the selection choice with his recent 41 not out against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy 2025. He also took three vital catches and played a role in taking the right DRS calls for the team.
India will face Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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