T20 World Cup 2022: Given What He Has Done In Australia, Won't Think Of Anyone Except Rishabh Pant For Wicket-Keeper - Ravi Shastri
Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri opined that India will have 3 options for the wicket-keeper slot going into the T20 World Cup later this year but Rishabh Pant should be the primary choice.
Pant has been lackluster in the white-ball formats but his record in Australia is enviable. Despite the excellent form Dinesh Karthik is in, Pant should be the leading choice for the wicket-keeping role, as per Shastri.
“Just his track record in Australia… given what he has done there, I won’t even think of anyone else except Rishabh Pant. At No. 6… he (Dinesh Karthik) is the second pick. Because Rishabh Pant will bat in the middle order,” Shastri said in a conversation with ESPNcricinfo.
Both Karthik and Pant are part of the Indian squad for the upcoming 5-match T20I series against South Africa. The series will give a clear indication of where the two stand.
“Ishan Kishan comes more in conditions like in India” – Ravi Shastri
Kishan had become the talk of the town after a few good performances for India followed by a whopping INR 15.25 crore package in the IPL 2022 mega auction. However, he failed to live up to the billing which plummeted his stocks.
“Now Ishan Kishan comes more in conditions like in India… if you need him at the top of the order to attack, then he could be the man. But in conditions that exist in Australia where you need a finisher at the back, batting at No.6, then on current form, he would be the second keeper. If you see his form now and his maturity and the way he has been finishing games, then you go on the current form,” he also mentioned.
India squares off against South Africa at home in a 5-match series starting on June 9.
