Team India have begun their preparation for the ODI World Cup next year which will take place at home. This means, the auditions have begun for each role, barring that of captain Rohit Sharma and No.3 batter Virat Kohli. One of the biggest topic of discussion and debate pertains to the role of the wicketkeeper. India will have to choose between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant with Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan among back-ups. And former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has already delivered a brutal verdict on the wicketkeeper’s role.
Pant has been India’s regular choice wicketkeeper amid Rahul’s absence in the format. In the 12 ODIs he has played this year, Pant has scored 336 runs at 37.33 with a century and three fifties. Rahul has played just eight ODIs this year, including the opener against Bangladesh on Sunday, where he scored 229 runs at 32.71 with two fifties.
Speaking to Sony Sports during the Mirpur opener of the Bangladesh ODI series on Sunday, Gavaskar hailed Rahul as an “all-rounder” and feels that his presence in the line-up helps India to take an extra bowler as well.
“He has been batting for India at No.5 with Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opening the batting most of the time and Virat Kohli at No.3. He has been batting at No.5 for a while now. Maybe that is the position that he is looking to consolidate. What that does is it gives India the extra option. If you have somebody as a middle-order option who can keep wickets then you can look at taking another bowler. I call him an all-rounder because he can keep wickets, he can open the batting and can bat at No.5. KL Rahul is an all-rounder as far as I am concerned. And someone like him with the kind of experience he has and the range of shots he has, he is the kind of finisher you want at No.5 or 6,” he said.
Pant, meanwhile, has taken a break from the ODI series for reasons yet to be confirmed. But the youngster will be back for the Test series.