IND vs HK: "They Think If Rishabh Pant Has To Play, It’s The Middle-Order”- Saba Karim On Dinesh Karthik Ahead Of Rishabh Pant

Captain Rohit Sharma & the management took a bold decision by dropping Rishabh Pant against the high-octane clash of India vs Pakistan. Many experts felt that India missed a trick by not including the left-handed batter as he is someone who can be the game-changer for Team India on their given day. Earlier in England tour, he was used as an opener and that experiment didn’t work quite well.

Dinesh Karthik has been scoring runs at the back end of the innings at a good pace. He has made a case for himself, but he is not someone who rotates the strike consistently in the middle over phase. This factor is what something makes Rishabh Karthik a favourite over Dinesh Karthik. However, the right-handed wicket-keeper batter is not tested yet as Hardik wrapped up the game by himself only.

Saba Karim on Rishabh Pant

Saba Karim: “One thing is clear, team management thinks that Dinesh Karthik is suited to No. 6 and only he can play the role of a finisher”.

“Rishabh Pant is not seen as a specific choice by the team management for that role. They think if Rishabh has to play, it’s the middle-order. So, there is no place available for him at the moment.”

“I don’t think Pant will get opportunities if India stick to their last combination. He can only get into the side if KL Rahul does not find his form. Only then, he could get a chance to play [as an opener]. Otherwise, there is no place vacant, which comes as a shock to him.”

“I think the manner in which they have used Ravindra Jadeja as a floater, in a similar way, Pant could have been used. He is a left-handed batter and his strike rate has been impressive.”

“He can come in the middle order and hit big shots. If that happens, you can have two left-handers in the XI, which adds stability to the batting department.” He concluded

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant would feel dejected after losing out on a spot that too in an India vs Pakistan Match. This match is considered to be the mother of all battles and is highly regarded in the World. Rishabh would be hoping that the management uses him as a secret weapon and surprise everyone as there is no doubt that on any day he can be a force to reckon with.

Rishabh Pant is famous for hitting one-hand sixes. The lefty batter has shown a lot of potentials and he knows that he needs to be patient for his chance. The management is backing Dinesh Karthik who has been around International Arena for more than 15 years. It looks crystal clear that Dinesh Karthik will keep wickets and play the role of finisher for India till ICC Cricket World Cup 2022 unless there is a string of low scores.

Also Read: Ind vs Pak: Gautam Gambhir Expresses His Surprise Over Rishabh Pant’s Exclusion From Playing XI