Former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja has called for Rishabh Pant’s inclusion in the Indian team playing XI. Pant was dropped for the big clash against Pakistan and veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik was included in the team.
The left-hander finally got a chance in the team’s final XI for the match against Hong Kong as Hardik Pandya was rested. Jadeja indicated that no one has won India as many games on his own as Rishabh Pant has done in the last couple of years.
Pant has been a match-winner in Test format but he is yet to take the T20I format by storm. The southpaw had recently scored a match-winning knock of 125 runs off just 113 balls in the third ODI against England. Pant has already played some unbelievable knocks in the Test format and he has the skills to turn the match on its head in the shortest format of the game.
On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik has been doing a fine job as a finisher and thus he was given the nod ahead of Pant against Pakistan. Karthik playing in front of Pant in the big match against Pakistan indicated that he could be India’s first-choice keeper for the T20 World Cup.
“I feel it is repetitive. I just don’t understand.. the things Rishabh Pant has done for India over the past 2-3 years.. his keeping has improved and I don’t think there is any batsman in India who has won as many games when the team needed him across all formats,” Jadeja said on Cricbuzz.
Jadeja added that he feels Pant’s inclusion in the final XI of the team is a no-brainer for him.
“India’s major problems in the World Cup has been when the side is reduced to 20/3 in a big game. If the top-order scores runs, it’s fine. But you need a batsman you can bail the side out of difficult situations. We didn’t have Hardik Pandya through this years, and Rishabh Pant was doing that. So, for me, he is a no-brainer,” said the former India star further.
Discussing on the same platform, former Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel also had a similar opinion.
India is likely to face Pakistan on Sunday in the Super Four stage.
