IND vs AUS: "I Believe KS Bharat Is The Best Option" - Abhinav Mukund On India's Red-Ball Wicketkeeper Dilemma

Abhinav Mukund, Team India’s opening batter, provided some insight into the present wicketkeeping dilemma created by Rishabh Pant’s tragic injury. Ishan Kishan received his first call-up, and KS Bharat was also chosen for the Test team for the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy match against Australia.

After veteran player Wriddhiman Saha was gradually cut from the Test squad, Bharat was added to the mix. Due to Pant’s stellar performance, he has yet to make his debut but has been reliable on the domestic circuit.

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Abhinav Mukund stated in an interview with News 18 Cricket Next: “Weighing the possibilities that Team India has at the time.”

“To be honest, KS Bharat might also be connected with flamboyance. When he plays red-ball cricket, he moves at a breakneck rate. I’ve seen a lot of things. Ordered by the route. I believe it should be KS Bharat since Bharat has been Pant’s number two since Saha was expelled and Pant became number one.”

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“So, in that order, I believe Bharat is the best option. However, a closer examination reveals that there is only one left-hander in the lineup” Abhinav Mukund  Added.

In the absence of KL Rahul, Kishan is now taking over as ODI wicketkeeper. Due to family obligations, the Karantaka-born player was left out of the squad for the series against New Zealand.

Abhinav Mukund believes it is too soon to rule Dhawan out of the ODI squad:

Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, among others, were not added to the ODI lineup for Team India’s current home season.

After the tour of the Caribbean in August 2022, Dhawan’s form suffered, and the development of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan as prospective replacements hasn’t helped matters.

Abhinav Mukund believes it is early to fully rule Dhawan out of the ODI setup, using Dinesh Karthik as an example. He stated:

“You know what, I said that Dinesh Karthik was at his wits’ end and yet he found himself participating in the T20 World Cup. Because of this, nobody’s journey can ever come to a conclusion. You never know; he might reappear on the scene after a successful IPL season. Yeah. Never close their doors, anyone else’s doors, or anything similar.”

After being selected as the captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) team during the mini-auction, Dhawan has a major Indian Premier League (IPL) season in sight.

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