IND vs NZ: "Can We Not Have Coordination Between The Indian Team And The Franchise"- Parthiv Patel On Rishabh Pant

During India’s T20 World Cup campaign, which ended with a humiliating loss to England, Rishabh Pant didn’t stand out much. A significant portion of it was because the Men in Blue seemed set to use Dinesh Karthik as a finisher. 

They appeared to be pleased with KL Rahul’s comeback at the top of the order, which contributed to a portion of it as well. As fate would have it, Pant was selected for India’s team for the matches against Zimbabwe and England. 

He was unable to make an impact, though, because he was batting farther down the order and in a position that he hasn’t exactly loved in T20I cricket. Many have questioned whether Pant should be involved with India’s T20I setup. 

Parthiv Patel Suggests How Team India Can Determine Whether Rishabh Pant Can Succeed As An Opener

Parthiv Patel, a former Indian cricketer, has offered a suggestion on how Team India should determine whether Rishabh Pant can succeed as an opener in T20 cricket. 

In his opinion, the Delhi Capitals might give their captain 14 games at the top of the order if the BCCI informs the team that they want to play the southpaw as an opener. This can serve as a good dress rehearsal to see how well Rishabh Pant performs in the role for India. 

Here is what Patel had to say on Pant’s status on the T20I team in his interview with Cricbuzz: 

“Can we not have coordination between the Indian team and the franchise? where they tell the Delhi Capitals that they are looking at him as an opener and whether he can play the same role for Delhi.

If that kind of coordination happens then it gets easier because you then have someone who has played 14-15 games in that position and then he comes into the Indian team.” 

Rishabh Pant hasn’t performed well in the Twenty20 International format, having a batting average below 25. In 63 T20Is, he has participated. Pant led India in a home series against South Africa earlier this year, but the star batter has since lost favor as a result of Dinesh Karthik’s unexpected selection to the senior national team following a successful IPL 2022 season. 

It will be interesting to see where Rishabh Pant bats for team India in their second T20I against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui on Sunday. 

Also Read: IND vs NZ: India Have The Resources To Replicate England’s Success In White-Ball Cricket: Ravi Shastri