Former India selector Saba Karim believes that there will be no place for Rishabh Pant in the playing XI for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Karim said that KL Rahul will be India’s wicketkeeper-batter.
“I would love to see him in the XI, but I think the way the XI is going to be constructed, I see no place for Rishabh Pant at this stage. He comes in because Shubman Gill is not there in the side and once you have decided to pick Tilak Varma in the XI, you see KL Rahul coming in as a wicketkeeper-batter. Then you have the all-rounders coming through.”
Pant is India’s vice-captain and a proven match-winner in Test cricket, but he has been in and out of the ODI team for a long time. KL Rahul has cemented his place as the wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs. Pant played his last ODI for India against Sri Lanka in August 2024.
Tilak Varma played a match-winning knock against Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 to help India win the title. Karim thinks he will take the place of Shreyas Iyer, who got injured while fielding during the Australia tour.
“Tilak Varma is the right player to get in place of Shreyas Iyer, because then you have very solid top order with Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, number three Virat Kohli. Tilak Varma has shown immense promise so far in white-ball cricket. This is a good opportunity for him to come good even in one-day cricket. So, I see Tilak Varma at number four.” he added.
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