The Gautam Gambhir-led Indian crew administration has a possibility to resolve who amongst KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant can be India’s long-term first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs when the facet takes on Sri Lanka in a three-match collection starting right here on Friday. There can be clamour across the first sighting of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as effectively, after the current T20 World Cup triumph. However the think-tank will look to close out that outdoors noise, specializing in finding 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 for certain to get precedence remedy on this collection.
Rahul is the incumbent wicketkeeper-batter and has been assigned to that function by the earlier set-up underneath Rahul Dravid since final yr’s Asia Cup, a match through which he made his comeback from an extended injury-forced layoff.
Since then, Rahul has carried out full justice to his obligation each in entrance and behind the wicket.
For the reason that continental showpiece final yr, Rahul has made 834 runs from 21 matches at a tremendous common of 69.50 with two lots of. Moreover, Rahul additionally captained India within the ODI collection in opposition to South Africa earlier this yr As a stumper too, the 32-year-old has been fairly good.
However will Gambhir observe the identical route since Pant is again within the reckoning? Pant’s return to India fold by a clutch of T20Is after that horrific accident in 2022 has been heartwarming however he has not set the sphere ablaze together with his outings.
There have been encouraging sparks over the last 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 must suppose as to the best way 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 file in 2023 can also be spectacular – 846 runs from 20 matches at a mean of 53 with three lots of.
So, it may very well 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 must play with 5 bowlers.
India won’t need to stroll that inflexible path notably with Hardik Pandya lacking this collection due to private causes.
Therefore, India may simply need to give a run to both Shivam Dube or Riyan Parag at No. 6.
Nevertheless, the administration entrusting Parag with bowling duties within the just-concluded T20Is may very well be a precursor to the bigger function he may get within the ODI collection.
That Parag can shift between off-spin and leg-spin successfully too brightens his likelihood, one thing he was not in a position to showcase a lot within the IPL, courtesy the Influence 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 financial system of 4.8.
In distinction, Dube, who appeared in an ODI 5 years in the past, performed just one match within the collection in opposition to Sri Lanka and was not summoned to bowl.
Amid all this, Gambhir will even control the outings of Rohit and Kohli, whom he mentioned can have a significant half to play going ahead.
This will even be the primary ODI for the duo after that deflating defeat in opposition to Australia in final yr’s World Cup ultimate at Ahmedabad, and they are going to be desperate to mark the return to 50-over format with a particular outing.
In the meantime, Sri Lanka, a combination of younger and skilled names, will need to keep away from a batting collapse that led them to their doom within the T20I collection regardless of having fun with intervals of dominance.
Nevertheless, they won’t have the companies of pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Dilshan Madhushanka, who’ve been dominated out of the collection 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 workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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