Team India skipper Rishabh Pant has been under the scanner, with his performances on a personal level, combined with the manner in which how the Men in Blue suffered two losses to South Africa earlier in the five-match T20I series.
Having scored just 40 runs in three matches against the Proteas, Pant’s displays have been underwhelming, which is why former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels his place in the Indian playing XI could be under threat once KL Rahul recovers from his groin injury.
The Karnataka batsman was due to lead India against South Africa, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rested, however, Rahul’s groin injury has ruled him out of the South Africa series, and as per reports, he will take no part in India’s tour of England as well.
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Once KL Rahul returns to full fitness, then Pant’s place in the playing XI could be under threat, with Dinesh Karthik also in the equation, feels Jaffer, since Pant has failed to score consistently.
“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’s a wicketkeeper. So, I am not too sure, with the way Rishabh Pant has played recently, I won’t call him a certainty,” Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo.
He continued, “I think he still needs to score runs and score consistently. He has not done that in the IPL, he has not done that in the many T20Is and I have said that many times.”
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The former Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting coach also added, “The way he has played in Test cricket, the way he has played in quite a few ODI innings as well, he has not done in T20Is. I won’t say Rishabh Pant is a certainty to me.”
Rishabh Pant had a mixed IPL 2022 as well, with the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper having failed to score a single fifty for his side throughout the season, having managed 340 runs in 14 games, with his highest score at 44.
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