IND vs NZ: Wasim Jaffer Feels Rishabh Pant Will Open The Innings With Shubman Gill In New Zealand T20Is

Former India National Cricket Team opening batsman Wasim Jaffer believes that the young wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will open the innings with the 23-year-old Shubman Gill in the T20I series against New Zealand National Cricket Team.

The India tour of New Zealand 2022, which consists of a three-match ODI series and a three-match T20I series, began on Friday, November 18, with a T20I game between the Hardik Pandya-led side and the Kane Williamson & Co. at the Sky Stadium, Wellington.

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Unfortunately, the first T20I game was abandoned due to rain without a ball bowled. The second T20I of the series is scheduled to be played at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on Sunday, November 20, and the fans will be hopeful of rain not playing spoilsport this time around.

I don’t think Pant will bat at number 6 – Wasim Jaffer

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, former India cricketer Jaffer picked his playing XI in which he named Gill and Pant as openers. He opined that Pant won’t be batting at the No.6 position and that the best place for him to bat is at the top order.

“My playing eleven would be Shubman Gill along with Rishabh Pant, I do not know if he will bat in number 5 because I have Shreyas Iyer at three, Suryakumar Yadav at four, Hardik Pandya as the captain at five and with this said, I don’t think Pant will bat at number 6. So, the best place I feel for him is to bat at the top of the order. Deepak Hooda will play in the no.6 spot,” Jaffer was quoted as saying on ESPNcricinfo.

“Washington Sundar at seven, Harshal Patel at eight. You can pick either Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal at nine. I would prefer Kuldeep but you could pick any of the two, Siraj played before the World Cup, so he could take the next spot, and Arshdeep Singh at no. 11,” he added.

Wasim Jaffer added that Pant can be a dangerous player in the powerplay overs and he can provide the Indian team with blistering starts.

“Once he gets a start and is 20-30 not out in the powerplay then he is dangerous. Then even if the fielders are out, it doesn’t matter to him. But when he comes to bat at No. 5, the field is already out and the pressure is on him. It is difficult for him to hit sixes straightaway. He is such a player from whom you can expect a blistering start,” Jaffer added.

Also Read: IND vs NZ: “He’s Come Good In Last Few Months” – Dinesh Karthik Hails Shubman Gill After His Selection In T20I Squad