ICC World Cup 2019: Rishabh Pant Will Open But After Five Years - Virender Sehwag

There is a lot of speculation about who should open with Rohit Sharma in the absence of full-time opener Shikhar Dhawan. KL Rahul has been handed over the role but the right-hander hasn’t been able to convert his starts into substantial scores. Thus, there are suggestions that India should turn to Rishabh Pant to open with Rohit Sharma. However, India’s former opener Virender Sehwag settled the dust as he believes Rishabh Pant will only get to open after five years.

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Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have done a fabulous job for the Indian team. Both of them have been instrumental in the success of the team and they are irreplaceable. In fact, both of these batsmen have given solid starts to their team and have done a fine job. However, Dhawan’s absence has been clearly felt by the Indian team.

KL Rahul is opening with Rohit Sharma in absence of Shikhar Dhawan.

Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag believes Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will keep opening with each other for the next five years. Furthermore, the former swashbuckling opener stated that Pant will go on thrash everyone when he starts to open for India.

“He (Pant) will open, but after five years, for sure. Because in Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit, India have the best openers, in the world. And they are both like…32. Therefore, after five years, where they will turn 37, Pant can become an opener and he will thrash everybody,” Sehwag said while talking to ICC media.

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant is playing his debut World Cup match against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Indian captain Virat Kohli confirmed that Vijay Shankar has a toe niggle and thus Pant replaced Shankar in the playing XI.

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Pant has thus far played four ODI matches and the combative southpaw batsman has scored 93 runs. The left-hander will like to make the most of his opportunity. Pant had replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan in India’s World Cup squad after Dhawan was ruled out with a fractured thumb.