KL Rahul vs Rishabh Pant declared ODI selection nightmare for Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir as Robin Uthappa shares verdict

Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are both back in the Indian ODI squad picked for the series against Sri Lanka. Also back is Shreyas Iyer as the middle-order batters are back after a long layoff.

This is Pant's first comeback to the Indian ODI team since his unfortunate accident in December 2022. For Rahul and Iyer, Gautam Gambhir having spent enough time with both of them in the last few IPL seasons realised their importance in the middle-order.

Meanwhile, Pant, Rahul, and Sanju Samspon seem to be India's options for keeper-batsman. Pant and Samson have been picked for the T20I side against Sri Lanka. In the ODIs, Rahul and Pant are the two options. Given his recent form and his success with the Indian team Pant seems to be the common choice across formats.

"Tough Choice" - Robin Uthappa on how Gautam Gambhir will accommodate Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul In ODI playing XI vs Sri Lanka

Speaking to Sony Sports ahead of India's series against Sri Lanka, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa opened up on how Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma might manage the duo in the ODI setup. Rahul scored 452 runs at an average of 75.33 in the ODI World Cup 2023 in Pant's absence.

"Both have been incredible and their numbers have been really good. Rahul’s numbers in ODI cricket have been exceptional, and Pant has just had an incredible T20 World Cup. His personal journey has been quite incredible over the last two and a half years. So it’s a tough choice. To be in Gambhir and Rohit’s shoes, it’s going to be a hard one," Uthappa said, as quoted by Khel Now.

The former Indian cricketer further said that the new crop of Indian players will need to take their opportunities with both hands as the competition within the team is increasing.

"With this new combination of the leadership group, we need to see who is preferred. As players, every opportunity that comes their way is going to be a really important one and players will have to grab it with both hands. So wishing both of them the best of luck and I hope the best man wins," Uthappa added further.

Starting with the Sri Lanka ODI series, India have just six ODI matches before the ICC Champions Trophy 2024. India will play a lot of Test cricket between September 2024 and January 2025. The Champions Trophy will be played between February and March 2025.

Gambhir, the newly appointed India head coach, addressed the media in Mumbai before departing to Sri Lanka for the ODI series. Gambhir on Tuesday has had his first practice session with the Indian T20I team that was selected for the series.

Suryakumar Yadav was named the new T20I skipper of the side despite Hardik Pandya's proven success as a T20I skipper for India, which came as a surprise to many fans.