Don't Know Whether Rishabh Pant Would Be Able To Fit In The ODI Squad: Sourav Ganguly

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has said he is still not sure if Rishabh Pant can fit into India’s World Cup squad.

Rishabh Pant has not looked back since lasts year’s Indian Premier League. Pant ended this year’s IPL as the second highest run-getter with 684 runs from 14 games. It included five fifties and one century. He soon found a place in India A squad for the England tour where he impressed as well. It paved his way for Test call-up, and he made a big impression again by scoring a ton at the Oval.

Pant further enhanced his reputation with a stunning display in the Test series against Australia. The highly-rated youngster finished the series as the second highest-run scorer, amassing 350 runs including a record-breaking unbeaten ton in Sydney. Prior to the tour of Australia, he had also made his ODI debut at home during the series against Windies.

Don't Know Whether Rishabh Pant Would Be Able To Fit In The ODI Squad: Sourav Ganguly
Rishabh Pant obviously a player for the future: Sourav Ganguly (Credits: Getty)

There were apprehensions that he might not make it to the World Cup after the selectors dropped him for the ODIs in Australia and New Zealand. However, the MSK Prasad-led panel then handed him a lifeline by picking him ahead of Dinesh Karthik for the five-match ODI series against Australia, India’s last 50-over engagement before the World Cup.

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With India in need of a finisher at the moment and Karthik dropped, many feel that Rishabh Pant, knock for his hard-hitting skills, could play that part. However, Sourav Ganguly is not very sure about Pant’s role in the showpiece event,

“He (Rishabh Pant) has to fit in. I don’t know whether he would be able to fit in at this moment. So it depends. But he’s obviously a player for the future,” Ganguly said about Pant.

Ganguly further said that the selectors are not thinking Karthik as an option, stating:

“Karthik is not part of the ODI squad then obviously they are not thinking him as an option. It depends on what the selectors want.”

Don't Know Whether Rishabh Pant Would Be Able To Fit In The ODI Squad: Sourav Ganguly
India are a very good side: Sourav Ganguly (Credits: Getty)

He went on to say that India are ‘a very good side’ before insisting that it is unlikely to see too many changes in the squad for the showpiece event in England.

“India are a very good side. It’s a very strong side. They are a pretty much self-selected team. I don’t see too many changes in the squad. Bowling is good in (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Shami, Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar). Batting picks itself. Spinners (Yuzvendra) Chahal and Kuldeep (Yadav). They are pretty self-selected team,” said Sourav Ganguly.

The five-match series against Australia, meanwhile, will start on Saturday. Pant, who has played just three ODIs so far, will be looking to make the most of the opportunity.

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