During India’s three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka that starts here on Friday, the Gautam Gambhir-led team management will have the chance to select between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as India’s long-term first-choice wicketkeeper-batter.
Following their recent triumph in the T20 World Cup, there will also be a lot of excitement surrounding the first sighting of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
The think-tank, however, intends to block out the outside chatter and concentrate on figuring out the lineup during a season that features several major one-day competitions, including as the Champions Trophy.
Given that, it is inevitable that the Rahul vs. Pant controversy will receive top attention in this series.
As the current wicketkeeper-batter, Rahul has been in that position since last year’s Asia Cup, when he returned from a protracted injury layoff. Rahul was part of the previous team led by Rahul Dravid.
Rahul has since carried out his responsibilities both in front of and behind the wicket with diligence.
Rahul has amassed 834 runs at a magnificent average of 69.50 from 21 matches since the continental climax last year, including two hundreds. In addition, earlier this year Rahul led India against South Africa in the ODI series.
The thirty-two-year-old has been a decent stumper as well.
But now that Pant is back in the mix, would Gambhir go the same path?
Although it has been nice to see Pant return to the Indian team for a string of Twenty20 Internationals following that terrible accident in 2022, his performances have not ignited the field.
Over the past month or so, hopeful signs have appeared. Is that, however, sufficient to persuade the ruling class to select him over Rahul?
Gambhir and captain Rohit will need to consider how to make room for Shreyas Iyer, another strong performer in the 50-over version, if they choose to maintain both Rahul and Pant in the starting 11.
Iyer scored 52 runs in his final ODI encounter in Johannesburg against South Africa. His 2023 record is equally remarkable, with 846 runs at an average of 53 in 20 matches, including three hundreds.
Rahul, Pant, and Iyer may therefore share the two batting positions in a three-way tie because India will need to use five bowlers if all three of them score runs.
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India would not want to follow such strict route, especially because Hardik Pandya will miss this series due to personal matters.
Therefore, India may wish to give Riyan Parag or Shivam Dube a run at No. 6.
But giving Parag bowling responsibilities in the recently finished Twenty20 Internationals may have been a sign of things to come, as he may have a bigger part in the ODI series.
The fact that Parag can switch between leg-spin and off-spin well also improves his chances, as the Impact Player rule prevented him from showing off this ability much in the IPL.
However, the Assamese player has a very notable body of work in the Deodhar Trophy, a domestic 50-over competition.
With a respectable economy of 4.8, he finished sixth last season with 11 wickets, behind only Vidwath Kaverappa (13), Shams Mulani (12), Mayank Yadav (12), Shahbaz Ahmed (12), and R Sai Kishore (11).
Dube, on the other hand, did not get called up to bowl in the series against Sri Lanka and only participated in one ODI appearance five years prior.
Amidst all of this, Gambhir will also be monitoring Rohit and Kohli’s performances, as he stated they will be crucial to the future.
In addition, this will be the pair’s first ODI following their disappointing loss to Australia in the World Cup final in Ahmedabad last year, and they will be excited to see the 50-over format back.
However, they will not have the services of pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Dilshan Madhushanka, who have been ruled out of the series with injuries.
Teams: 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.
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