Former Indian cricketer and commentator Ravi Shastri posed questions on the team’s playing XI.
Rishabh Pant, India’s one of the most explosive and reliable wicketkeeper batters, sat out for the first and second ODIs against England at home. Former Indian cricketer and commentator Ravi Shastri posed questions on the team’s playing XI as well as the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
Shastri on the mic said, “(India) would really be thinking about the composition of the side. You have a man like this (Pant on camera) sitting on the bench and warming it”.
They broke my guy man 😭😭. You can't be sitting out this man for a part time wk who bats like a tailender. pic.twitter.com/wKzaxH16UT
— Sourabh (@1handed6) February 9, 2025
While Pant was benched, KL Rahul was included in the playing XI for the same spot. In the two matches of the series so far, Rahul has made only 12 runs.
Rahul’s ODI career spans 79 matches. He has accounted for 2,863 runs at an average of 47.71 while his strike rate is on the lower side of 87. Rahul has struck seven centuries and 18 half-centuries so far.
On the other hand, Pant has scored 871 runs in 31 matches. He has an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of 106.21. The southpaw has one hundred and five fifties under his belt.
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Since Pant’s freak road accident in 2022, he has played only one fifty-over game. In that match, he made six runs and took one catch against Sri Lanka. Talking about his return to T20Is from June 2024, the Uttarakhand-born player has made 222 runs in 10 matches.
Rahul’s recent performances across formats have been underwhelming. He hit his last ODI half-century in December 2023. However, Rahul is reckoned as an ODI-specialist player. A few low performances don’t prove his potential, especially after Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma’s blazing knock in the second ODI to shut the noise of the critics.
Coming to the wicketkeeper position, Rahul’s experience and resilience have led the selectors to favour him on most occasions. However, Pant may get another chance to prove his mettle. From walking with clutches in 2023 to running between the wickets in a span of a year, Pant has shown a fantastic display of his dedication towards the sport. As pointed out by Shastri, Pant cannot be ignored especially with the upcoming Champions Trophy.
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