Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are both back in the Indian ODI squad picked for the series against Sri Lanka. Also back is Shreyas Iyer as the middle-order batters are back after a long layoff. This is Rishabh Pant‘s first comeback to the Indian ODI team since his unfortunate accident in December 2022. For Rahul and Iyer, Gautam Gambhir having spent enough time with both of them in the last few IPL seasons realised their importance in the middle-order.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, Rahul, and Sanju Samson seem to be India’s options for keeper-batsman. Rishabh Pant and Samson have been picked for the T20I side against Sri Lanka. In the ODIs, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are the two options. Given his recent form and his success with the Indian team Rishabh Pant seems to be the common choice across formats.
Team India’s focus on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant eyes wicketkeeper slot in ODIs.
Team India will shift back their focus to the 50-over format in the coming months to get ready for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The selection committee is expected to retain the core of the 2023 ODI World Cup squad to give them another shot at an ICC title, but the return of Rishabh Pant will be a good headache to have for the captain and coach of the team. Rishabh Pant returned to the Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup after a gap of about 15 months; he missed the ODI WC last year and was recovering from the injuries.
In his absence, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan kept the wickets for India, but the latter has been out of the scheme of things. Rishabh Pant will now have to battle it out with Rahul in the race for India’s first-choice wicketkeeper batter. KL Rahul has performed consistently well in the 50-over format in recent times after he was shifted to the middle-overs at number 5 spot. He also scored 452 runs in the 2023 World Cup and it would be tough for Rishabh Pant to pip to become the first-choice wicketkeeper.
Rishabh Pant also made a sensational return to international cricket with a couple of crucial performances in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he scored 171 runs. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa feels that it is going to be a hard choice to make for new head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma to choose between Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.
KL Rahul vs Rishabh Pant declared ODI selection nightmare for Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir as Robin Uthappa shares verdict .
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa believes it will be tough for captain Rohit Sharma and newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir to select one between wicketkeepers KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. The Men in Blue will play three ODIs against Sri Lanka beginning on August 2.
Rahul has been India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs for a while and also played an incredible role in their run to the ODI World Cup final. However, Rishabh Pant brings the X-factor and is also coming back into the ODI setup for the first time since his horrific car accident in December 2022.
Here’s what Robin Uthappa had to say (as quoted by Khel Now) in an interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network:
“Both have been incredible and their numbers have been really good. Rahul’s numbers in ODI cricket have been exceptional, and Pant has just had an incredible T20 World Cup. His personal journey has been quite incredible over the last two and a half years. So it’s a tough choice. To be in Gambhir and Rohit’s shoes, it’s going to be a hard one.”
Uthappa believes India’s new captain-coach combination deserves time for themselves as well to figure out who is a better option out of the two wicketkeepers to start the series.
Players will have to grab opportunities with both hands: Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa feels that whichever player gets the chance in the ODI series against Sri Lanka will be aware that he needs to make the most of the opportunity. On this, Uthappa stated:
“With this new combination of the leadership group, we need to see who is preferred. As players, every opportunity that comes their way is going to be a really important one and players will have to grab it with both hands. So wishing both of them the best of luck and I hope the best man wins.”
The Men in Blue have just six ODIs left to play before the all-important Champions Trophy in 2025.