Gautam Gambhir Speaks On MS Dhoni vs Rishabh Pant Debate

With debate on whether Rishabh Pant should be preferred over MS Dhoni being the talk of the town, veteran batsman Gautam Gambhir feels the selection should be done on the basis of the players’ performance.

MS Dhoni’s sharp decline in form has coincided with Rishabh Pant’s rise. Dhoni has been facing criticism since the tour of England this year. The 37-year old is facing the heat for his struggles to play at a good strike-rate.

In the second ODI against England, he scored 37 off 59 balls as India were all out for just 236 while chasing 323. He struggled in the third ODI too. Dhoni managed to score 42 but used up 66 deliveries for the same. He failed to find his form in the Asia Cup too, scoring 0, 33, 8, 36.

In 2018, from 15 matches, his strike rate is a paltry 67.21.

On the other hand, Pant has not looked back since starring in this year’s Indian Premier League. Pant ended as the second highest run-getter in the tournament with 684 runs from 14 games. It included five fifties and one century.

His exploits helped him win the Emerging Player of IPL 11. 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. The southpaw got off the mark in Tests with a six before scoring a stunning century in the final Test.

In his latest outing, he slammed 92 off just 84 against West Indies in the first Test.

Not surprisingly, many feel that it is high time Pant should be given chance ahead of Dhoni. However, Gautam Gambhir refused to draw any conclusion and said that either of them deserved to be in the team, as long as they are performing well.

“There’s never been a right time and there’s never been a wrong time (to pick a player). It really depends on the combination and ultimately; it’s a performer that will keep you in the side. If MS (Dhoni) continues to do well, obviously he should be playing but if someone else does well I think that’s where it has got to be,” he told The Times of India.

In an exclusive chat with Times Now, senior Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir was asked whether Dhoni should retire from international cricket. “Performance is the only criteria one can be part of a team. If you are not performing, you cannot be part of a team. Age doesn’t matter. I am sure Dhoni will be wanting to perform and prove the critics wrong,” the Delhi batsman said.

Meanwhile, latest reports suggest that Pant could get a place in the ODI team for the upcoming series against West Indies