Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer reckons leaving out Rishabh Pant in the T20 World Cup final XI will be the best thing for India. Jaffer feels batting Pant at number four and five doesn’t make sense and he should open the innings if he is drafted into the starting XI.
Pant has played match-winning knocks in the Test format but he hasn’t been consistent in the shortest format of the game. However, the left-hander has a terrific record in the Australian conditions and he will look to be at his best in the T20 World Cup.
Furthermore, Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out with a knee injury and Pant can provide a left-handed option in the middle order for the team.
Meanwhile, Jaffer had earlier suggested that Rohit Sharma should demote himself in the batting order and allow Pant to open the innings but now feels it is not going to happen. Rohit Sharma confirmed on Sunday that he and KL Rahul will open the innings in the T20 World Cup while Virat Kohli will be the back-up opener.
“India needs to figure out whether Rishabh Pant plays or not. The Indian think tank has been thinking a lot about putting Rishabh Pant in. He has been brilliant and we have talked about it many times. In Test cricket and in the ODIs, he has played series-winning, game-changing knocks, but that has not happened in T20 internationals or even in T20s,” Jaffer said while talking to ESPN Cricinfo.
“So India needs to figure out if they want to stick with Rishabh Pant in the top six or if they want to play Dinesh Karthik, who has done really well since the Indian Premier League. For me personally, Rishabh Pant does not fit in number 4 or 5. His best place is to open the batting, which I don’t think will happen. I feel leaving out Rishabh Pant in the World Cup will be the best thing,” the former batter added.
The former domestic giant reckons Axar Patel can also replace Ravindra Jadeja in the final XI and he has done a good job with the bat but the team hasn’t given him ample opportunities.
“I think Axar Patel has done really well in recent times, so I don’t know why India has not trusted him, because he has won matches with his batting,” he said.
