India’s stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan has backed Rishabh Pant in the ODI format. Dhawan said Pant is a match-winner and Sanju Samson will have to wait for his opportunities in the 50-overs version. Pant hasn’t been able to grab his chances in the limited-overs format and thus many cricket boffins have questioned his place in the team.

However, Pant has proved he is a match-winner in the Test format. On the other hand, Sanju Samson has also done a decent job for India in recent times. But the Kerala batter didn’t get his chance in the T20I series against New Zealand and played only in the first ODI against the Kiwis, in which he scored 36 runs.

Pant scored 17 runs in two T20Is against New Zealand while he scored 25 runs in the two ODI innings against the Kiwis and thus could not deliver the goods for the team.

Meanwhile, India lost the ODI series against New Zealand by 1-0 after the third ODI was called off due to rain on Wednesday at Christchurch. New Zealand had won the first game by seven wickets after Tom Latham had scored a fine century.

“In Rishabh’s case, he played the one-dayers in England and scored a century there. And a player who gets a 100 gets backing. Everything is done keeping the larger picture in mind. If there is a match-winner, you have to back him. A decision is taken after analysing a lot of things,” Dhawan said in the post-match press conference.

“Of course, Sanju (Samson) is doing really well. Whatever opportunities he has gotten, he has done well, but sometimes despite performing well, a player has to wait because the one before him has been doing well.

“We know the skills that Pant possesses and he is a match-winner. A certain cushioning needs to be given that cushioning when he isn’t performing. So that cushioning is given to that player,” he added.

Pant has the skills to turn the match on its head but he should be more consistent for the team.

The left-hander will be in action in the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh.