"Need To Pick Between Dinesh Karthik Or Rishabh Pant": Ex-India Selector's Big Statement

13.08.2022 - 08:23 sports.ndtv.com

The T20 World Cup is just around the corner and the team management must be sweating on who to pick and who to leave out. Team India have managed to create a solid pool, and in order to manage the workload of senior players, several youngsters have gotten the chance to prove themselves.

However, Dinesh Karthik's story is completely different. He made a comeback into the national side on the back of strong performances in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The 37-year-old batter has managed to make the finisher job his very own, but due to underwhelming returns in the last few T20Is against West Indies, several pundits are questioning his place.

Now, former India selector Saba Karim has said that the selectors need to pick between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik and once one player is decided, it would be easier to slot in Suryakumar Yadav at No.4. “Yes, you better need to sort it out as soon as possible.

cricket India Cricket Team 2022 Hardik Pandya Dinesh Karthik Rishabh Pant India Bangalore

The Indian team management decided to drop Rishabh Pant from the its playing XI for Asia Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan on Sunday. Dinesh Karthik was chosen as the wicket-keeper for the match and this sparked a lot of conversation among fans and pundits alike. Pant though was drafted into the XI for the match against Hong Kong but he didn't get a chance to bat.

"Rishabh Pant Can Add Far More Value": Ex-BCCI Selector On Team India Opting For Dinesh Karthik In Asia Cup

India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik miraculously turned the tide into his favour this year. Starting from his brilliant performance in IPL 2022 to his remarkable return to the national side, Karthik has been in an unstoppable form. Recently, he even got included in Team India's Asia Cup squad and also found a place in the Playing XI in the opening game against Pakistan on Sunday. His inclusion blocked the way for the young wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, which did not go well with many fans and experts. Former India selector Saba Karim backed Pant and stated that he can "add far more value" than Karthik.

Watch: Rishabh Pant Hits Perfect Helicopter Shot in Practice Ahead Of Asia Cup Tie vs Hong Kong

Rishabh Pant was not included in India's playing XI against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 clash on Sunday. The young wicketkeeper-batter has sweated it out in the nets in the meantime and it remains to be seen if he is included in the XI for Wednesday's match against Hong Kong. Pant has for long been seen as an all-format option for India, however, Dinesh Karthik was chosen over him for the tie against Pakistan. While it may be part of the team management's experimentation process, Pant looks like leaving no stone unturned with an aim to make a comeback in the T20I XI.

"Such An X-Factor": Ex India Cricketer Baffled By Rishabh Pant's Exclusion vs Pakistan

Rishabh Pant could not find a place in the playing XI as India beat Pakistan in a low-scoring thriller in their Asia Cup clash on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batter was left on the bench with KL Rahul returning to the side, while Dinesh Karthik was handed the responsibility behind the stumps. Former India player and selector, Saba Karim, said that it seems like there is no place for the flamboyant southpaw in India's playing XI at the moment, but was left wondering why the management would leave out an "X-Factor" player like Pant.

Hardik Pandya 2.0: All-rounder emerges as India's most valuable player in T20Is

Hardik has often been criticised for not having played a role of an all-rounder when the team needed him the most. But since he made his comeback from injury to the national side in June this year, bowling again at full tilt, Hardik has emerged as a serious match-winner with both bat and ball ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia. For many, he is the most valuable player in the Indian team currently.

"Hope It's Not Long-term...": India Great Gautam Gambhir On Team Dropping Rishabh Pant Against Pakistan

Ahead of the India-Pakistan match at the Asia Cup 2022, skipper Rohit Sharma sprung a surprise at the toss as he announced Rishabh Pant was not part of the Indian playing XI. Instead, the Indian team management went ahead with the veteran Dinesh Karthik. Over the last one year, Karthik has excelled in the finisher's role. He has performed consistently well for his franchise too in the Indian Premier League. Pant, on the other hand, has been as the first-choice wicketkeeper for quite some time now.