Harbhajan Singh bats for Rishabh Pant's Inclusion In World Cup Squad

Rishabh Pant has been making the news for all the right reasons ever since he made his Test debut in England last year. A century in the final Test at the Oval had helped him justify the huge surrounding him and the youngster has not looked back since then. A couple of fifties in the home series against Windies helped him earn his maiden ODI call-up and a recall to the T20I side. He then enhanced his reputation with a stunning performance in Australia.

He left behind the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to finish the series as the second highest run-scorer. He was one of the only two batsmen to cross the 300-run mark, finishing the series with 350 runs including a monumental 159-run knock in Sydney. But amidst all this, his exclusion from the ODI team has left the cricketing world baffled especially at a time when India’s middle-order has looked anything but settled.

Harbhajan Singh bats for Rishabh Pant's Inclusion In World Cup Squad
Rishabh Pant is a part of the T20 team for the New Zealand series (Credits: Getty)

With Pant missing the important series against Australia and New Zealand, there are speculations that he might not be in the team for the ICC World Cup 2019. However, veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh has insisted that Rishabh Pant should be part of India’s squad for the Cricket World Cup.

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Harbhajan said the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand provides Pant with a good opportunity to showcase what he can offer to the team and bolster his claim for a spot in the World Cup squad.

The off-spinner also said that Pant can be tried out at number three in absence of skipper Virat Kohli.

“I would love to see him [Pant] bat in the top order. He is someone… if he gets going, he can get you a lot of runs. Maybe, No.3 position could be for Pant since Virat is not there. If he gets to bat inside the first six overs, I think he can do a lot of damage to their bowling attack,” Harbhajan Singh told India Today.

“I think he is someone who should be part of the World Cup squad. He is a match-winner on his day. I think, India would need his services at some point of time at the World Cup. The best position for him to bat is No.3 if Virat is not there. This is a great opportunity for him to show what he can bring to the table,” he added.

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India, meanwhile, will take on New Zealand in the first T20I on Wednesday in Wellington.

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