"It could be a masterstroke" - Wasim Jaffer wants India to open with Rishabh Pant in 1st T20I vs ENG
Wasim Jaffer has urged India to look at Rishabh Pant as an opening batter in the first T20I against England, terming it a potential "masterstroke."
Pant has never opened in T20Is, though he was asked to do so in an ODI game against West Indies in February and scored 18 (34). The 24-year-old played at the top four times in his initial years in the IPL, scoring 104 runs at an average of 26.
He's recently been playing at No. 4 and 5 in the format and has struggled to play a long innings. But his red-ball returns have remained unaffected. In the most recent Test against England, the left-hander top-scored for India with 146 (111) and 57 (86).
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Jaffer suggested that Pant's aggression and ability to take on bowlers in Test cricket could be brought to the shortest format. Jaffer said:
"I have thought about something after watching the Test match. Rishabh Pant hasn't been successful at 4 or 5 in T20 cricket so I'll be tempted to open the innings with him. We know the kind of attacking cricket he plays, especially with the field up.
"If he gets a good start, it could be a masterstroke. KL Rahul isn't available and India's best opening combination is of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. I feel Indian team should look at this. If they can open with Rishabh Pant, I feel he'll add a better value in T20 cricket."
The suggestion of Pant shifting to another position is also valid because Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya have put in the performances to lock-in all the middle-order spots for the T20 World Cup.
In this way, Pant could be the back-up opener and wicketkeeper for the tournament.
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However, this change will come at the expense of Ishan Kishan, who has been in brilliant form recently and has staked his claim for the backup opener's spot.
Rohit Sharma would want to understand who are his 12-13 players: Wasim Jaffer
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Pant, alongside Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, won't be available for selection for the first T20I. All three will be back for the second and third T20Is.
Jaffer talked about how skipper Rohit Sharma, who's returning after missing out on the Test match due to Covid-19, will want to zero-in on 12-13 players in this series in preparation for the World Cup. The cricketer-turned-analyst added:
"When all players are together in the second and third T20I, India needs to set that combination plus Rohit Sharma hasn't captained for a long time so would want to understand who are his 11 or maybe 12 or 13 players he has to focus on."
The series opener will kick off at 10:30 pm on Thursday, July 7. You can catch the live proceedings here.