The Gautam Gambhir-led Indian group administration has a possibility to resolve who amongst KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will likely be India’s long-term first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs when the facet takes on Sri Lanka in a three-match sequence starting right here on Friday. There will likely be clamour across the first sighting of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as properly, after the current T20 World Cup triumph. However the think-tank will look to close out that outdoors noise, specializing in checking out the mix in a season that has some marquee one-day occasions together with the Champions Trophy.
In that context, the Rahul vs Pant conundrum is definite to get precedence remedy on this sequence.
Rahul is the incumbent wicketkeeper-batter and has been assigned to that position by the earlier set-up underneath Rahul Dravid since final 12 months’s Asia Cup, a event through which he made his comeback from an extended injury-forced layoff.
Since then, Rahul has completed full justice to his responsibility each in entrance and behind the wicket.
For the reason that continental showpiece final 12 months, Rahul has made 834 runs from 21 matches at a high quality common of 69.50 with two lots of. In addition to, Rahul additionally captained India within the ODI sequence in opposition to South Africa earlier this 12 months As a stumper too, the 32-year-old has been fairly good.
However will Gambhir comply with the identical route since Pant is again within the reckoning? Pant’s return to India fold via a clutch of T20Is after that horrific accident in 2022 has been heartwarming however he has not set the sector ablaze together with his outings.
There have been encouraging sparks over the past month or so. However is that sufficient to persuade the powers that be to select him forward of Rahul? If Gambhir and skipper Rohit resolve to maintain each Rahul and Pant within the 11, then they should assume as to find out how to accommodate Shreyas Iyer, one other formidable participant within the 50-over model.
In his final ODI outing, Iyer made a 52 in opposition to South Africa at Johannesburg, and his report in 2023 can also be spectacular – 846 runs from 20 matches at a median of 53 with three lots of.
So, it might be a three-way tie between Rahul, Pant and Iyer for 2 batting slots as a result of if India go forward with all three of them, then they should play with 5 bowlers.
India may not wish to stroll that inflexible path notably with Hardik Pandya lacking this sequence due to private causes.
Therefore, India would possibly simply wish to give a run to both Shivam Dube or Riyan Parag at No. 6.
Nonetheless, the administration entrusting Parag with bowling duties within the just-concluded T20Is might be a precursor to the bigger position he would possibly get within the ODI sequence.
That Parag can shift between off-spin and leg-spin successfully too brightens his probability, one thing he was not in a position to showcase a lot within the IPL, courtesy the Impression Participant rule.
However the Assam participant has a reasonably noticeable physique of labor within the home 50-over competitors – the Deodhar Trophy.
He took 11 wickets final season to be positioned sixth behind Vidwath Kaverappa (13), Shams Mulani (12), Mayank Yadav (12), Shahbaz Ahmed (12) and R Sai Kishore (11) at an excellent economic system of 4.8.
In distinction, Dube, who appeared in an ODI 5 years in the past, performed just one match within the sequence in opposition to Sri Lanka and was not summoned to bowl.
Amid all this, Gambhir can even control the outings of Rohit and Kohli, whom he mentioned could have a serious half to play going ahead.
This can even be the primary ODI for the duo after that deflating defeat in opposition to Australia in final 12 months’s World Cup remaining at Ahmedabad, and they are going to be wanting to mark the return to 50-over format with a particular outing.
In the meantime, Sri Lanka, a mix of younger and skilled names, will wish to keep away from a batting collapse that led them to their doom within the T20I sequence regardless of having fun with durations of dominance.
Nonetheless, they won’t have the companies of pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Dilshan Madhushanka, who’ve been dominated out of the sequence with accidents.
Groups:
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Nishan Madushka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Ehsan Malinga, Mohammed Shiraz, Asitha Fernando. Standbys: Kusal Janith, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay.
Match begins at 2.30 PM IST.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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