Rishabh Pant dumped again! KL Rahul gets backing in India XI for 3rd England ODI by Ex-coach

India might have secured the series against England but there are still a few holes to fill ahead of the Champions Trophy. One of those concerns is the form of KL Rahul, who has registered two low scores in the first two ODIs against England.

With just one match remaining before the Champions Trophy, KL Rahul is under immense pressure due to the presence of another talented wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on the bench. But former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has backed Rahul despite his low returns.

Bangar feels that India should not make any changes in the Playing XI now that the Champions Trophy is just around the corner. He spoke on the importance of sticking to a stable XI which will be key to India performing well.

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Sanjay Bangar backs KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant

While speaking to Jio Cinema, Sanjay Bangar opined that India don't need to play Yashasvi Jaiswal in the third ODI in Ahmedabad. He believes that Arshdeep Singh and Rishabh Pant can be given chances but called to stick with the same Playing XI.

“I don’t think Yashasvi Jaiswal needs to play. If there’s merit, you can play Arshdeep Singh or Rishabh Pant, but with only one match left, it might be better to continue with the current XI.

Bangar also supported KL Rahul and feels that the wicketkeeper-batter needs to be backed instead of jumping to Rishabh Pant. There have been calls to play Pant in the ODIs since Rahul hasn't got a big score in the first two games.

"KL Rahul has not had many chances to bat long, and his keeping has been solid. It’s important to trust him," the former India allrounder added.

KL Rahul's performance in the first two ODIs

KL Rahul scored just 10 off 14 balls in the second ODI in Cuttack. He came in to bat at No. 6 below Axar Patel as the Indian team management opted to go for a left-right combination again. While India were already in a good position when he got out, Rahul's low returns have put pressure on him with Pant on the bench.

In the first match, KL Rahul was dismissed caught, and bowled by the legspinner Adil Rashid for just 2 off 9 balls. Although he hasn't scored many runs with the bat, his wicketkeeping has been good overall.

Rahul has an excellent ODI record and has performed well in the format so far. He has scored 2863 runs in 79 ODIs so far at an average of 47.71 and a strike rate of 87.31. His performance has improved ever since he has been moved to the middle order.

Sanjay Bangar hails Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill

Further speaking in the same discussion, Sanjay Bangar hailed Rohit Sharma for his excellent hundred and termed India's opening partnership to be the difference between the two sides.

“Rohit Sharma’s innings and his partnership with Shubman Gill didn’t allow England to come back into the game. His intent made the match one-sided," said Bangar.

Rohit Sharma scored 119 off just 90 balls with 12 fours and 7 sixes. The opener was at his devastating best and brought up his 32nd ODI hundred in an emphatic fashion. His opening partner Shubman Gill scored his second fifty in a row and finished on 60 off 52 balls.