India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant has been under the scanner for a streak of unsuccessful outings in the limited overs format. The year 2022 hasn’t been that great for the 25-year-old. He may have scored his maiden ODI hundred in England a few months back, but his numbers in the shortest format certainly raise a question about his place in the team.
Recently, he hasn’t been at his best of forms. He had an underwhelming T20 World Cup, managing scores of 3 and 6, against South Africa and Zimbabwe, respectively. His poor patch continued in New Zealand as well. He got 6 and 11 in the two T20Is and scored a 23-ball 15 in the first ODI on Friday which India lost by 7 wickets.
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A series of failures has now questioned his place in the Indian dressing room. Several experts have already opined that Sanju Samson should now be given more opportunities. Former India opener Aakash Chopra too believes that if Pant doesn’t perform in the New Zealand and Bangladesh ODIs, the selectors might need to take a call on his white ball future.
“The selectors have named him [Pant] as the vice-captain. Since he’s Dhawan’s deputy, he will be given two more chances in the series. But what will happen after that? That’s a big question. Even if he doesn’t play well, then it will be time to take a call on him. Should we continue with him or start moving ahead?” Chopra said in his latest YouTube video.
What’s happening now is everybody is looking at him as a special player, a talented one who has the X-Factor. But in the white ball format, he hasn’t lived up to the reputation thus far. In Tests, even at the present, he is the best wicketkeeper batter not just in India but across the globe. Only the top-order batters have played terrific innings like him. But it’s also a fact that he hasn’t done well in ODIs and T20Is to justify the opportunities he has been given. Though he is a part of the next tour [Bangladesh] as well if he doesn’t perform then selectors will have to think about him,” he added.
Also Read: ‘Instead of Extra Batter, Why Didnt They Play Deepak Hooda?’-Former Selector Wants ‘Bold Decisions’
Pant has played a total of 25 T20Is this year so far and could muster only 364 runs, including a lone half-century. He accumulated single-digit scores on 8 occasions and didn’t bat in 4 matches. Whereas in ODIs, he got 326 runs in 10 games, including two fifty-plus scores and a ton.
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