India vs Windies 2018: Ajit Agarkar Wants Rishabh Pant in ODI Squad

Former team India pacer, Ajit Agarkar has batted for the inclusion of Rishabh Pant in the ODI series against the Windies ahead of MS Dhoni.

Agarkar bats for Pant in ODI team

Dhoni’s indifferent form with the bat in the last few series has not helped India and has been a point of concern ahead of the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

However, India needs to tighten their screws, as they hope to reclaim the World Cup. Rishabh Pant has been in superb batting form in the recent past and has treated star bowlers with disdain in the past. He got drafted into the Test squad for the tour of England, and he impressed all and sundry with his attacking display of batsmanship. Pant’s wicket-keeping abilities were questioned, but he answered everyone with the bat.

In the 5^th and the final Test, Rishabh Pant scored his maiden Test century, as he smashed the English bowlers all around the Oval. It was a special knock from a special player.

However, India is all set to meet Windies in a five-match ODI series just after the conclusion of the Test series. Ajit Agarkar wants Rishabh Pant to be part of the squad in white-ball cricket.

“I can’t believe he (Pant) is not part of India’s shorter format setup,” Agarkar said to ESPNCricinfo. He further pointed out that there is no harm in resting Dhoni for an inconsequential series and giving the 21-year-old a chance.

Ajit Agarkar wants Rishabh Pant in the India-Windies ODI series

“Hopefully they do that (ODI for Pant) sooner, rather than later, against the West Indies in the ODI series. There are five ODIs, and there will be an opportunity to play him somewhere, whether as a batter or a wicketkeeper. I mean you know what Dhoni can do, and there is no harm in resting him for a couple of games,” Ajit Agarkar added.

The former Indian pacer feels the number six slot could be the ideal one for Rishabh Pant given his attacking instincts. He is a brilliant batsman, and in his brief career, Pant has already pushed for a place in the ODI squad.

Rishabh Pant will be the eventual candidate to fill in the shoes of MS Dhoni. However till Dhoni retires, he won’t get much of the opportunities.

“He (Pant) is a good striker of the ball and looks like a batsman for all formats of the game, he looks the part,” Agarkar said. “In the top six, purely with his batting ability there no doubt in my mind that he has to be given the opportunity to see whether he is good enough. There is no left-hander (in the middle-order) and the way he strikes the ball, it is suited for any format,” he added.