"I am sure Rishabh Pant will go to the West Indies" - Sourav Ganguly
Former India captain and Delhi Capitals (DC) Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly said on Monday he was "sure" about Rishabh Pant's selection in India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will take place in June in the USA and the West Indies.
Pant returned to competitive cricket at IPL 2024 from his serious injuries after over a year. The left-hander took some time to wash off the rust and now has 254 runs from eight matches at an average of 36.29 and a strike rate of 150.30. His ball-striking facet hasn't looked fully polished yet.
"I want every young player to play," Sourav Ganguly said in a special media interaction organized by DC. "Unfortunately, with cricket, you can only pick 15. It happens in sports, the most equipped and the better ones play. Pant is definitely in the bracket. And I am sure he'll go to the West Indies."
Sourav Ganguly didn't commit an opinion on the right position for Pant to bat for India, arguing that it would depend on the match-ups and situations. However, he made his choice of openers clear, saying:
"I feel both (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) will go to the West Indies and both should go to the West Indies. And if you ask me, it's just my personal opinion, and I am not saying selectors should go for it because at the end of the day it's their call and Rohit's call -- Rohit and Virat should open."
He also said that IPL performances shouldn't be the only criteria for national selection because a good team is a "balance of youth and experience."
When reminded about the 2007 T20 World Cup where the older India players gave way to a young side that dominated the tournament, Ganguly countered with examples of England fast-bowler James Anderson and MS Dhoni. He said:
"There's nothing about young and old. It's about how good you are. How does Jimmy Anderson play? It's Test cricket but he's a fast-bowler bowling 30-31 overs at 41 years of age. There's no hard and fast rule for it. The only hard and fast rule is talent. You look at MS Dhoni, he bats for 2 overs and hits four sixes."
The former skipper added that the most important thing for India at the marquee tournament would be playing without fear.
"It's about how good you are" - Sourav Ganguly on Impact Player rule's effect on all-rounders
Further in the interaction, Sportskeeda asked Sourav Ganguly about his opinion on the Impact Player rule and its impact on all-rounders who weren't getting to utilize both their skills anymore in the IPL. He asserted that it was a matter of quality and that the "majority of good" all-rounders were still finding a place in the playing 11.
"Some of them are still playing. Axar is playing for us, Jadeja plays for Chennai, Hardik plays for Mumbai, Nitish Reddy plays for Hyderabad he's in the game straightaway, Russell is in the game straightaway, Narine is in the game straightaway. It's not always the case. The majority of good players still find a place in the 11. It's about how good you are," Sourav Ganguly said.
DC are eighth in IPL 2024 points table with three wins from eight matches.