Rishabh Pant Or KL Rahul? Gautam Gambhir's Big Dilemma Ahead Of India vs Sri Lanka ODI Series

01.08.2024 - 10:36 sports.ndtv.com

The Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team management has an opportunity to decide who among KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be India's long-term first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs when the side takes on Sri Lanka in a three-match series beginning here on Friday.

There will be clamour around the first sighting of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as well, after the recent T20 World Cup triumph.

But the think-tank will look to shut out that outside noise, focusing on sorting out the combination in a season that has some marquee one-day events including the Champions Trophy.

In that context, the Rahul vs Pant conundrum is certain to get priority treatment in this series. Rahul is the incumbent wicketkeeper-batter and has been assigned to that role by the previous set-up under Rahul Dravid since last year's Asia Cup, a tournament in which he made his comeback from a long injury-forced layoff.

cricket Sri Lanka Cricket Team India Cricket Team Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Gautam Gambhir Asia Cup Rishabh Pant Kl Rahul South Africa India Sri Lanka

Team India's star wicket-keeper batsman gave fans a sneak peek into his love for cinema, as he recreated actor Rajinikanth's iconic sitting pose from the film 'Kabali'. Pant - who has made a successful comeback into the India setup after recovering from his horrific car accident - posted a collage, where he is mimicking the same post as the legendary South Indian actor. The post went viral amongst fans, racking up a whopping 600,000 likes in just six hours of being uploaded.

Watch: Rishabh Pant Tries His Hand At Spin Bowling. Internet Can't Keep Calm

Indian cricket team wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant left everyone stunned as he bowled the final over of the Delhi Premier League match between Purani Dilli 6 and South Delhi Superstarz on Saturday. Pant has never bowled in an international match but he decided to try his hand at spin bowling with the Superstarz needing just 1 run to win the encounter. The video of Pant bowling quickly went viral on social media with many users connecting it to Gautam Gambhir's recent appointment as India head coach. Since Gambhir's appointment, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have all bowled during the series against Sri Lanka.

"ODI Series Harney Ka Gift": Ex-Pakistan Star Takes Massive Dig At Gautam Gambhir

The Indian cricket team slumped to a shocking series loss on Sri Lankan soil for the first time in 27 years after the Rohit Sharma-led side were defeated comprehensively in third ODI encounter on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 249, India were completely outplayed as they were bundled out for 138. It was a stunning result for new head coach Gautam Gambhir who did not win a single ODI in his first assignment in the format. Former Pakistan cricket team star Tanvir Ahmed took to social media to take a dig at Rohit and co following the shocking loss. "India team ka ODI series harney ka gift Gautham ghambir (A gift for Gautam Gambhir from the India team that they lost the ODI series)," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

First Time In 27 Years: India Suffer Disappointing Low With ODI Series Loss vs Sri Lanka

The shockingly clueless Indian batting unit was strangled by crafty Sri Lankan spinners, led by five-wicket man Dunith Wellalage, as Rohit Sharma's men crashed to an embarrassing 110-run defeat in the third and final ODI in Colombo on Wednesday. Sri Lanka won the three-match series 2-0 after the first match ended in a tie, and this is the Islanders' first bilateral ODI series victory over India since 1997. Chasing a competitive 249 on a sharp turner at Premadasa, India were bowled out for a woeful 138 in 26.1 overs, and the new head coach Gautam Gambhir will have a few hard points to ponder early into his stint.

Super Over Controversy Strikes India vs Sri Lanka ODIs, Umpires Floundered ICC's Rule: Report

As the Indian cricket team comes out second best in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, their tied first match against the hosts is back in the spotlight. To the surprise of many, the first ODI of the series didn't feature a Super Over despite the scores of the two teams being tied. The match was declared a 'tie', though the International Cricket Council's playing conditions mandate the usage of a 1-over eliminator to find the winner in case of tied contests in the 50-over format.

After Defeating India, Sri Lanka's Six-Wicket Hero Jeffrey Vandersay Reveals Key Reason Behind Victory

Jeffrey Vandersay was called into Sri Lanka's ODI squad on the eve of the second ODI against India as Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. On Sunday, Vandersay made his call-up count by taking a sensational 6-33, which derailed India's chase and gave Sri Lanka a famous 32-run win. “There was assistance on the wicket so I was trying to hit the good areas and do the basics right. This is my first game after some time so I had to bowl in good areas.