"I think that's the spot where he can blossom" - Wasim Jaffer on Rishabh Pant's ideal batting position in T20Is
Former India player Wasim Jaffer feels wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is best suited to open the innings in the shortest format of the game.
With the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 due later this year, the Men in Blue will look to finalise their combination in the next few months, starting with the upcoming England series. India will lock horns with Jos Buttler and Co. in a three-match series, followed by a few more bilateral assignments leading up to the marquee event.
Ahead of the T20Is against England, Jaffer proposed a radical idea of opening the innings with Pant and captain Rohit Sharma. He tweeted:
"Indian think tank should think about opening with Rishabh Pant in T20Is. I think that's the spot where he can blossom. #ENGvIND."
Indian think tank should think about opening with Rishabh Pant in T20Is. I think that's the spot where he can blossom. #ENGvIND
Incidentally, Pant has never opened in international cricket. He has batted at No.3 on six occasions, scoring 117 runs at a strike rate of 127.17.
He has enjoyed most of his success at No.4 and 5. The left-hander has scored 619 runs in 35 games, including three half-centuries.
Rishabh Pant's underwhelming numbers in T20I cricket
While Pant's stock has grown from strength to strength in red ball cricket, his numbers are quite underwhelming in the shortest format of the game.
The left-hander has managed only one half-century in the format since 2021, which came against the West Indies earlier this year. He disappointed in his last T20I assignment against South Africa, scoring only 58 runs in five games, with a best score of 29.
The England T20Is should ideally be make-or-break for Rishabh Pant, for now. Of the 105 players to feature in 40+ T20I innings, Pant stands 64th in terms of SR (123.91) and 91st in terms of run aggregate (741). The lack of a left-handed MO batter aids his case for now #INDvsENG
With Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik making a strong case for themselves, Pant will have to use the upcoming games against England to cement his berth in the T20 World Cup squad.