IND vs WI: I Am Not In Favour Of Rishabh Pant Opening In This Series – Reetinder Sodhi

Former Indian spinner Reetinder Sodhi opined that Rishabh Pant won’t be an ideal choice to open the innings with Rohit Sharma in the second T20I against the West Indies.

It was a surprising move to watch Suryakumar Yadav open with the Indian skipper in the first T20I in Trinidad. Suryakumar scored 24 in 16 balls, while Pant batted in at No.4, and made 14 off 12 balls with Shreyas Iyer (0) at No.3. 

India posted a competitive score of 190/6 in the first innings on the back of Rohit’s 44-ball 64 and Dinesh Karthik’s brilliant came in the end, plundering 41 runs in 19 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. 

Not in favour of Rishabh Pant opening: Reetinder Sodhi 

Pant opened India’s batting order in the last two T20I matches against England in Birmingham and Nottingham, managing scores of 26 and 1 respectively. 

Sodhi, who played 18 ODI matches for India, is against the experiment of opening with someone like Pant. The former Indian batting all-rounder, instead, wants Ishan Kishan to open. 

“I am not in favour of Rishabh Pant opening. He is India’s pivotal player. India need him when the game gets tight in the 15th-16th over. You can better utilise him in the middle overs. He can take on the spinners and seamers as well,” Sodhi told India News.

“I am not saying Pant cannot play the new ball, but India have better options for the top order. Ishan Kishan must open in all the four remaining games,” he added. 

India have a 1-0 lead in five T20Is

India registered a comprehensive 68-run win against Nicholas Pooran & co in the series opener at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.

The visitors India restricted the Windies at 122 for eight at the end of the game with Ravichandran Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi claiming two wickets each.

The second T20I between the two teams will be played on Monday at Warner Park in St Kitts. 

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