IND vs NZ: "His Strike Rate Is Highest When He Bats There": Dinesh Karthik Discusses Rishabh Pant's Ideal Batting Spot In T20Is

Dinesh Karthik spoke up on where Rishabh Pant could be best suited to bat in T20 Internationals now that the T20 World Cup is finished and India is eager to get back on track.

Rishabh Pant first made a name for himself in T20 cricket five years ago. Pant has become a greater name in Test cricket as a result of his hundreds in Australia and England, and to a lesser extent in ODIs, but he is struggling to earn a spot in the shortest format.

Speaking to Cricbuzz on Friday during the postponed first T20I match in Wellington, Karthik acknowledged that India had trouble fitting in Pant because the lineup already included players like Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya. This suggests that Pant must either bat down the order, which he doesn’t or bat up the order, which he hasn’t done much of.

“When it comes to Rishabh Pant, I believe he has firmly established himself in Test and, to a significant extent, ODI cricket.” In T20s, he bats in a different position for his club and comes in a different position for the Indian side, and they are still figuring out where to suit him.”

“Where does a Rishabh Pant fit in with Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya? We do require a left-handed pitcher, but where will he be used? We’ve seen what Kohli can achieve at No. 3. “Let’s not even get started on Suryakumar Yadav; he’s the best in the world,” he said.

“We can give him the opportunity to open”: Dinesh Karthik

Karthik believes that Pant should open for India because he prefers to bat when the field is up during a power play and because his lifetime strike rate is way greater against the new ball than it is in the middle or the death overs. He also asked the management to support the young man despite his early failures and be patient with him.

“Right away, we come down to Pant at No.5″ Do we want him to bat there, or should we offer him the chance to open? We know one thing for certain: his ability to play shots. When the field is up, he can go all-in on the powerplay so we can give him the chance to open,” Dinesh Karthik said.

“It’s worth noting that his strike rate is highest when he starts. He enjoys opening up the field and putting bowlers under strain. When it comes to stroke play, he is unrivaled and has perplexed several high-level international bowlers. We have to accept that he will have a few missteps, but he is a fantastic player,” Dinesh Karthik added.

Dinesh Karthik was not selected for the three-match New Zealand series, but Pant was, along with backup wicketkeepers Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.

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