Rishabh Pant Is In-Form And Could Return In The Playing XI For The T20 Series In England

 

Virat Kohli and his team have started preparing for the World Cup T20. He has got a tough choice to make as he has to choose between Dhawan and Rahul as only one of them can play.

The Indian cricket team is very strong at this moment as they have great resources at their disposal. This has happened quite seldom and in the last couple of months, the gen-next of Indian cricket has carved out a very safe passage to the finals of the World Test Championship. But the time is ripe enough to get over the hangover of the success in the test matches and they have started planning for the ICC T20 World Cup at home that is slated to happen by the end of this year. The preparations will start in full earnest in the five–match T20 series that will take place against England.

The combination of the entire batting line-up will be revolving around reinstating the very hot Rishabh Pant in the T20 scheme of things of India. There are many indications that Pant will be part of the playing XI against the formidable English team on 12th March in Ahmedabad.

Some balance has been found by the team management as KL Rahul started keeping wickets in 2019 once Pant’s form started dwindling. Nevertheless, the media has understood that the team management is very keen to have a left-handed batsman as part of the middle order and the very much in-form Rishabh Pant fits the bill. He has also been designated as the wicket-keeper and Ishan Kishan will be there as the backup.

Chetan Sharma is at the helm of the new selection committee and the core of the T20 team has to be ensured by the team management for the World Cup that is knocking on the doors. This is very much unlike what happened in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup in 2019.

Devang Gandhi, the former national selector has said that Pant should be given a longer run at the number 4 spot. Suryakumar Yadav also should be given the chance and must be told that they will at least get five games here. India should not be in a position like that in the 2019 World Cup where they cannot zero in on the number 4 spot. No team wants half-baked players going to play the World Cup. The players must have enough games under their belt.

The selection committee of Chetan Sharma has garnered a lot of praise as they have included performers from the IPL. But the job has been made easy because they had the option to name a really big side. The rotation policy will lead to nowhere.

The team management has to make a big call about the opening slot as Pant comes into the side. Only one among Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul will make the start.