"Can we not have coordination between the Indian team and the franchise?"- Former Indian cricketer on Rishabh Pant
Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel has suggested a way in which Team India can figure out whether Rishabh Pant can do well as an opener in T20 cricket.
He opined that if the BCCI convey to the Delhi Capitals that they want to play the southpaw as an opener, the franchise might give their captain 14 games at the top of the order. This could be a great dress rehearsal for whether Rishabh Pant can perform at the position for India.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, here's what Patel had to say about Pant's position in the T20I side:
"Can we not have coordination between the Indian team and the franchise? where they tell the Delhi Capitals that they are looking at him as an opener and whether he can play the same role for Delhi. If that kind of coordination happens then it gets easier because you then have someone who has played 14-15 games in that position and then he comes into the Indian team."
Shaw pant opening both for DC and India 🥵🥵 twitter.com/Rishabhians17/…
Fellow Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik was also part of the discussion. He has recently spent quite a lot of time with Rishabh Pant in the Indian team. He talked about how destructive the southpaw could be if he opened the innings. DK added:
"With the field up in the powerplay, he (Pant) can go gung-ho. Interestingly, his stats also reflect that his strike rate is highest while opening. When the field is up, he likes to take on the bowlers and then when he comes out of the powerplay, you have a left-hander who can play a lot more shots against spinners."
Looking forward to see Rishabh Pant and Shubham Gill opening for India against New Zealand.
#NZvIND https://t.co/7sfAI7sv5S
You can't have that conversation about Rishabh Pant with IPL franchise: Dinesh Karthik
Although Dinesh Karthik understands why Parthiv gave the idea of the BCCI talking to the Delhi Capitals, he feels it won't be possible. According to DK, the Capitals will focus only on winning the IPL and they won't want to compromise Rishabh Pant's position just because the national team wants to.
On this, Karthik stated:
"When you're playing for your state, I think it is easier to pass on the message that can you play him at this position because we are looking to play him there in the Indian team. I think you can't have that conversation with an IPL franchise because they are a private entity, they are looking to win the tournament and they will try and fit in the player where he can contribute to the team."
It will be interesting to see where Rishabh Pant bats for team India in their second T20I against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui on Sunday.