Former Indian World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni is likely to not return to the T20I squad for the upcoming home series against South Africa. So, the selectors are likely to continue Rishabh Pant in the forthcoming T20I series.
Since the conclusion of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, MS Dhoni hasn’t played for the national team. Due to his commitment to the Indian Army, Dhoni missed the entire limited-overs tour of the USA and West Indies. In that tour, India played a three-match T20I and three-match ODI series against Windies apart from the ongoing two-match Test series. In the absence of Dhoni, youngster Rishabh Pant handled that wicketkeeping role.
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According to the latest PTI report, MS Dhoni is likely to miss the upcoming home T20I series against South Africa as the selectors are busy to continue their focus on Pant. The Proteas side will begin their forthcoming India tour through the three-match T20I series from 15th September 2019.
Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020, the selectors want to keep ready three wicketkeepers. So, they are very serious for the wicketkeeping position.
A senior BCCI official told according to PTI, “There are only 22 T20 Internationals before India play their first World T20 game and selectors are clear in their vision that it’s time to move forward.
“They are planning on getting a pool of three keepers ready for limited overs, especially T20s.”
Retirement is an individual decision and selectors or for that matter, no one has any right to decide on that front – BCCI official on MS Dhoni’s retirement speculation
Since the CWC 2019, MS Dhoni is hugely under the retirement speculation. However, the former Indian captain hasn’t revealed his cricket future yet.
While the retirement is entirely a personal choice, the selectors also have the right to create a roadmap with or without any particular player. Ahead of the next T20 World Cup, the selectors want to give maximum chances to Rishabh Pant.
The official added, “Retirement is an individual decision and selectors or for that matter, no one has any right to decide on that front. But they have every right to decide the roadmap for the 2020 World T20 and that’s to give Rishabh Pant maximum chances.”
Australia will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 from 18th October to 15th November 2020. As Australia has many big grounds, the selectors want an experience wicketkeeper-batsman for the next T20 World Cup.
The official said, “Pant scored a fifty in the last T20 that he played. Ishan Kishan is in the A set-up. Do we even have an option of looking back when we need consistent big hitters on big Australian grounds?”
Since his T20I debut in February 2017, Pant has played 18 T20Is where he has scored 302 runs (average 21.57). Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Ishan Kishan hasn’t made his international debut yet.