Rishabh Pant appears to be on the ODI slippery slope, as a 15-member squad for the three-match series against New Zealand is likely to be announced on January 3 and 4. On December 25, RevSportz reported that Ishan Kishan has started knocking on the ODI door on the heels of his return to the T20I set-up. And yet, on the face of it, a decision to drop Pant would be without rhyme or reason.
A story is doing the rounds that there have been issues between the wicketkeeper-batsman and head coach Gautam Gambhir. A source in the know rubbished the rumours. “There’s absolutely no bad blood,” he told RevSportz on condition of anonymity. “Maybe, people are trying to correlate it with Gambhir’s ‘playing to the gallery’ comment after the Ranchi Test against South Africa. But in the team talk, the coaching staff didn’t single out Pant for the defeat.”
Pant, who led India in the second Test against South Africa, was criticised for his shot selection in the first innings, as the hosts suffered a home series whitewash. At the post-match press conference, Gambhir had said: “The reality is, we still need to improve a lot in red-ball cricket. Whether it’s mentally, whether it’s technically, whether it’s absorbing pressure, whether it’s sacrificing, whether it’s putting the team ahead of your individual self. And most importantly, not playing for the gallery.”
The head coach didn’t take any name but between the lines, it was clear to whom his dig was aimed at. Pant was part of India’s ODI squad for the three matches against the Proteas, although he warmed the bench. It was like the Champions Trophy where the southpaw had to sit out, with KL Rahul being the team’s first-choice.
Coming to the squad selection for the series against New Zealand that starts on January 11, it is learnt that some selectors want to bring Ishan back to the 50-over fold. There’s a school of thought that his batting is in sync with India’s playing philosophy in this format. The Jharkhand captain has also scored a blazing century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy opener, batting at No. 6.
Then again, if he is to be included, then that can be done by replacing Dhruv Jurel who was in the squad for the series against South Africa. Yes, Shubman Gill, who missed the South Africa series due an injury, will return to lead the side against the Kiwis. Shreyas Iyer, currently doing rehab at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bangalore, is touch and go. But Pant was part of the 50-over set-up even with Gill and Iyer in it.
As regards his form, only a couple of days ago, Pant scored 70 off 79 balls against Gujarat in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on a tricky surface. As far as the international fixtures are concerned, he hasn’t even got a game of late. So on what basis will he be left out? Dropping him will contradict cricketing logic.
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