Although Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan were not part of the recent India vs Afghanistan T20I series, they are not ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has backed several names for wicketkeepers in the tournament and Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant are also part of the list.
Notably, Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan are also not part of the forthcoming India vs England Test series. India has picked three wicketkeepers in the squad- KL Rahul, Srikar Bharat, and Dhruv Jurel. Team India has only announced the squad for the first two Tests.
We’ve Got Quite A Few Keeping Options: Rahul Dravid
While speaking in the press conference after India’s victory in the 3rd T20I against Afghanistan, India Head Coach Rahul Dravid said that India has a few options for wicketkeepers. He also added Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant’s names to the list.
“We’ve got quite a few keeping options. We saw a couple of guys in this series, whether it is Sanju, or Jitesh. You speak about Rahul, there is Ishan, Rishabh… all of them are in the mix. We just have to see how things pan out in the course of next few months and then we can take a call what’s the best way to go,” Dravid said.
Ishan Kishan Was Part Of West Indies Test Series Last Year
Ishan Kishan was part of the Test series against West Indies in August last year. However, he is not part of the England Test series. Ishan Kishan made himself unavailable for the previous Test series against South Africa. However, he did not return for the IND vs AFG T20I series.
According to rumours, BCCI selectors got annoyed with Ishan Kishan. He opted out of the South Africa Test series due to a continuous workload. However, he was seen travelling and appearing on television shows during his break. As a result, selectors were unhappy and did not pick him for the IND vs AFG T20I series. However, these are rumours and nothing can be assured about the news.
Rishabh Pant Is Out Of Field Since 2022
Talking about Rishabh Pant, he has been out of the field since last year. In December 2022, the left-handed batsman faced a road accident. He was admitted to the hospital later and underwent recovery. As a result, Pant could not participate in the Asia Cup 2023 and ICC ODI World Cup 2023 last year.
Pant was seen practising with Hardik Panyda recently. The video went viral on social media. He was also part of the IPL 2024 auction in December, where he was part of the bidding process with his franchise Delhi Capitals.
Notably, both Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant are part of IPL 2024. During the tournament, they will have a good opportunity to justify their selection for ICC T20 World Cup 2024. While Ishan Kishan was part of the ODI World Cup 2023 last year, Pant was picked in the previous T20I World Cup in 2022.
