The Indian team completed their first assignment post the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League where they played against South Africa for a 5 T20I match series. As the days are closing up on the T20 World Cup 2022, the discussion on the 15-man squad for the Indian team keeps on going. The 5-match series against the Proteas ended in a 2-2 stalemate as the final match of the series got abandoned because of rain. The newly appointed head coach Rahul Dravid denied the confirmation about the squad but eventually dropped a minute hint on the wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant which also erupted the fans on Twitter.
Rishabh Pant, India’s wicketkeeper batter, struggled with the bat even during the five-match T20I series against South Africa. Pant only managed 58 runs in the series, averaging 14.50 and striking out 105.45 times. He was being bothered by opposition bowlers who were bowling outside the off-stump. And in the meantime, head coach Rahul Dravid believes in him for the long term. Rishabh was handed over the baton for captaincy for the series against South Africa because KL Rahul incurred a groin injury which made him ruled out of the series.
“Personally, he would have liked to score a few more runs but it is not concerning him. Certainly, he is a very big part of our plans going ahead in the next few months,” Dravid said during the post-match press conference on Sunday. “I just don’t want to be critical. In the middle overs, you need people to play a slightly attacking brand of cricket, to take the game on a little more. Sometimes it’s very hard to judge it based on two or three games.” Rahul Dravid said in a conference while backing up the 24-year-old and also claimed that he could be the next ‘big’ thing in the coming T20 World Cup in Australia.
The former India skipper reminded the fans that Pant batted at an outstanding strike rate in the Indian T20 League 2022.
“I think he had a pretty good IPL in terms of strike-rate even though it might not have looked good on averages. In IPL, he looked to move up a little bit (in terms of averages) and probably three years ago he was on those numbers. We are hoping that we can get those numbers from him at the international level.”
Here is how Twitter reacted to the comment:
This is why India will not win world Cup. We need players who is more suited in T20 and is in good form. Pant suited well in test or odi, not T20. World Cup is not something u play to develop players, it's something u play to win. We need a coach who knows how to win.
— Dipjyoti (@dipjyotig) June 21, 2022
Looks like we will not even reach Semifinals. Disastrous to keep him in the squad.
— Sanu (@sanu_sense) June 20, 2022
Pant do not have any place in 11 as per his performance, sky for sure will play at 4, followed by pandya, do and jaddu at 5, 6 and 7 followed by bowlers#RishabhPant #pant #CricketTwitter #Cricket #cricketlovers
— PIYUSH PAWAR (@im_piyushpawar) June 21, 2022
It's high time he starts scoring consistently… Otherwise he will be out of plans very soon… It's only because he is a lefty he is getting so many opportunities… As there are not many left handed options in the Indian middle order
— Sarthak Changkakoti (@Sarhakdd) June 21, 2022
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India still has 10 more matches to play before the T20 World Cup and Pant can get back up strong and furious.