Wasim Jaffer, the former India batter has stated that he is unsure of keeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s place in the T20I playing XI going forward. The 24-year-old is India’s stand-in captain for the ongoing series against South Africa. However, according to Wasim Jaffer, the left-hander hasn’t done well enough in the format to be termed a certainty.
Rishabh Pant has struggled with the bat in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa so far, having registered scores of 29, 5, and 6. His shot selection has also come under the scanner. The aggressive batter had a poor IPL 2022 campaign as well. Leading the Delhi Capitals (DC), he scored 340 runs in 14 matches with a best of 44.
Wasim Jaffer: Rishabh Pant Isn’t A Certainty With Likes Of KL Rahul And Dinesh Karthik Available
Reflecting on the cricketer’s consistently poor returns in the T20 format, Wasim Jaffer said that he might not feature in the Indian playing XI regularly in the upcoming matches.
With as many as four wicketkeeper-batters in contention in Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Dinesh Karthik, it will be interesting to see how many get the nod for the upcoming 2022 T20I World Cup. KL Rahul who was injured before the ongoing South Africa series is another option for the keeper’s slot and will certainly make the World Cup squad if fit.
Wasim Jaffer opined: “You’ve got KL Rahul. Once he comes back, he walks into the side. He’s a wicketkeeper as well. If Dinesh Karthik is certain to play, then again, he is also a wicketkeeper. So, I am not too sure. The way Rishabh Pant has played recently, I won’t call him a certainty.”
Wasim Jaffer added that while the keeper-batter has excelled in Tests and has also played a few good knocks in the one-day format, the same cannot be said about his T20 career.
Wasim Jaffer elaborated: “I think he still needs to score runs and score them pretty consistently. He hasn’t done that in the IPL. He hasn’t done it in many T20Is. I’ve said that many times – the way he has played in Test cricket, the way he has played in quite a few ODI innings as well, he hasn’t done that in T20Is. So, I won’t say that Rishabh Pant is a certainty for me (in T20Is) going forward.”
Rishabh Pant will be leading India when they face the Proteas in Rajkot on Friday (June 17), in the fourth T20I of the five-match series. Ishan Kishan has scored 164 runs averaging 54.67 in the 3 T20Is against South Africa and is the leading run-getter, while Dinesh Karthik has scored 37 runs averaging 37. Although Rishabh Pant has managed 40 runs, he averages only 13.33.
Rishabh Pant’s T20I Numbers Are Rather Underwhelming
The 24-year-old has featured in 30 Tests so far in which he has scored 1920 runs at an average of 40.85 with four hundred. In 24 ODIs, he has 715 runs at an average of 32.50. His T20I numbers are rather underwhelming. In 46 games, he has 723 runs at an average of 23.32 and a strike rate of 125.95.
Rishabh Pant has managed just 40 runs in the three T20Is against the Proteas thus far and has been dismissed for single-digit scores in his last two innings. Rishabh Pant has scored 723 runs in 46 T20Is at a low average and strike rate of 23.32 and 125.95 respectively with three half-centuries to his name.
Indian selectors announced a 17-member squad for the 2-match T20 international series against Ireland. Sanju Samson also returns to the squad after being ignored for the ongoing series against South Africa. Rishabh Pant has been left out of the squad as he is going to be part of the Test squad in England.