Rishabh Pant’s exclusion from India’s T20I squad for the England series has sparked debate, with Aakash Chopra cautioning against sidelining his unique talent.
Rishabh Pant has been left out of India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against England starting later this month. The 15-member squad, announced by the BCCI on Saturday, includes Sanju Samson as the primary wicketkeeper and Dhruv Jurel as his backup.
Since the World Cup, India has played 15 T20Is, with Pant featuring in just two due to rest or prioritization for Test cricket. Recently, he played all five Tests during India’s 1-3 series loss in Australia. Meanwhile, Samson has capitalized on opportunities, scoring three centuries in his last five T20Is as an opener.
Former cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra has cautioned against sidelining Pant, highlighting his generational talent and potential in white-ball cricket.
“Sirf stats dekhte toh Sanju was averaging under 20 in T20i before he was pushed as an opener (If you go by the stats then Samson was averaging under 20 before being pushed as an opener). The thinking was potential and promise. And he’s done wonders at the top Pant is a generational talent…I feel sidelining him for white-ball cricket completely will be a mistake,” Chopra wrote on X.
Sirf stats dekhte toh Sanju was averaging under 20 in T20i before he was pushed as an opener. The thinking was potential and promise. And he’s done wonders at the top 😍
Pant is a generational talent…I feel sidelining him for white-ball cricket completely will be a mistake. https://t.co/kZeTdzKRll— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 12, 2025
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“Rishabh Pant is an Asset,” Says Chopra
Earlier, Chopra also questioned the decision to include Dhruv Jurel as a backup wicketkeeper, pointing out that Jurel is yet to establish himself in T20Is. He argued that accommodating Jurel in the playing XI would mean sidelining players like Rinku Singh or Nitish Kumar Reddy, which could disrupt the team balance.
“You have picked Dhruv Jurel on pure potential. You cannot play him in the starting XI. There is no room for him. If you want to play him, you have to bench either Rinku Singh or Nitish Kumar Reddy, which will not be right for either of them,” Aakash Chopra had said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra then suggested that Pant, given his potential and proven track record, should have been considered for the squad. He emphasized the importance of providing Pant with opportunities, especially during a phase of transition.
“You have picked him but not Rishabh Pant. It can’t be that Rishabh Pant is not in your scheme of things. So early in his career, have you taken this call? I am not doing any PR. I think Rishabh Pant is an asset. He is a generational talent. You should invest in him. If he is not in your scheme of things, maybe he has been given rest,” he said.
Rishabh Pant is not a sure-start name for the Champions Trophy. Even if picked, he is not guaranteed a spot in the playing XI. You could have picked him. It would be nice if the selectors could give some clarity to Rishabh Pant. When you are going through transition, it is important to keep everyone in the loop and give everyone some clarity,” the former cricketer concluded.
With the Champions Trophy squad announcement nearing, questions remain whether Pant will be included, especially with KL Rahul likely to retain his role as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. Before the Champions Trophy, India will host England for three ODIs.
India T20I Squad Vs England
Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Mohd Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar.
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Last Updated on January 12, 2025
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