As India begin their preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy, former batsman Suresh Raina has urged Rishabh Pant to be more responsible with his batting. The left-handed batsman has been named in India's squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The same team will also face England in a three-match ODI series.
Rishabh Pant is one of the two batsmen in the Indian team, with KL Rahul being the other. As of now, it is still unclear whether the Delhi star will get the nod ahead of Rahul to don the gloves.
Many believe that Rahul will be the team's first-choice wicketkeeper due to his performance in the ODI World Cup 2023 as well as his impressive display in the recent Test series against Australia.
While Rishabh Pant has become an integral member of India's Test squad, the same cannot be said about his place in the ODI squad as well as the T20I squad.
The left-hander has not really been able to deliver consistent performances in the limited-over format. In ODIs, he scored a modest 871 runs in 31 games at an average of less than 32.
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Rishabh Pant has improved a lot: Suresh Raina
Rishabh Pant's selection did not go down well with many. Many believe that the likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan would have been better options. Kishan was part of India's squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup, while Samson scored two centuries in the T20I series against South Africa last November.
However, Raina has thrown his support behind Pant, saying his former India teammate has improved his control. Raina also said that the upcoming three-match ODI series against England will be a good opportunity for Pant.
“He has improved a lot in wicket-keeping, Rishabh Pant has to play with more responsibility as this is a 50-over tournament,” Raina told Star Sports.
“In the next England tour of 3 One Days, this will be a good opportunity for Rishabh Pant,” he added.
Rishabh Pant can close the game:
Speaking further, Raina said that Rishabh Pant could play a very important role for Team India in ODIs. The former India batsman said that if Yashasvi Jaiswal does not get a place in the playing eleven, Pant could play the role of finisher for Team India. He also advised Pant to take his time in the middle before going for the big shots.
“It depends on how you play, I think if Yashasvi doesn't play first then Rishabh Pant will have a very important role, he can bat at number four, he can come and bat ahead of Hardik because if Rishabh continues. bowl 40-50 deliveries then he can finish the game,” Raina said.
“He has to tell himself that if I play fifty deliveries then I can score 80-100 runs, but it is important for him to spend some time. If he gets it wrong, then that will cost a lot because he has that talent, he has that ability, he will be the X-factor for the Indian team,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played from February 19 in Pakistan and UAE. India will play all their games in UAE. Team India is in Group A along with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand.