Indian Selectors Looking For A Backup Wicket-Keeper For Rishabh Pant In Test Cricket- Reports

The Indian selectors are reportedly in search of a backup option for regular wicket-keeper, Rishabh Pant, in the national Test squad. With Wriddhiman Saha not in the plans of the team management, it makes sense to start the search for a new keeper.

Under the new head coach, Rahul Dravid, the management will begin implementing new methods and strategies to take Indian cricket further than it already is. Plenty of changes are expected in the squad, with the first of them being Rohit Sharma taking over as the captain of the T20I team after Virat Kohli stepped down.

Selector Looking For A Backup Of Rishabh Pant In Tests

According to reports in TOI, Dravid is on the lookout for a wicket-keeper, at least for the next two years, who can play as a backup for Pant. For the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, the Indian team hasn’t announced its squad but there may be a new backup keeper instead of Saha.

The selectors might consider bringing in KS Bharat, who has been a part of India ‘A’ teams for a while now. He recently played in the IPL 2021 season, where he showcased his T20I skills but Bharat’s batting style is much more suitable to Tests.

Notably, he wasn’t included in India A’s squad for the South Africa tour, hinting that he might finally get a bump to the senior men’s team. The 27-year-old has a decent record in first-class cricket. Having played 69 matches, he has scored 3909 runs at an average of 37.58, including eight centuries.

India A squad for South Africa tour:

Priyank Panchal (c), Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Baba Aparijith, Upendra Yadav (wk), K Gowtham, Rahul Chahar, Saurabh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Umran Malik, Ishan Porel, Arzan Nagwaswalla.

Also Read – If India Keep Virat Kohli Out And Go Entirely With Aggressive Batters It Won’t Work Every Time – Ashish Nehra