"To be in Gambhir and Rohit’s shoes, it’s going to be a hard one" - Robin Uthappa on India's wicketkeeping choice between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa believes it will be tough for captain Rohit Sharma and newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir to select one between wicketkeepers KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. The Men in Blue will play three ODIs against Sri Lanka beginning on August 2.

Rahul has been India's first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs for a while and also played an incredible role in their run to the ODI World Cup final. However, Rishabh Pant brings the X-factor and is also coming back into the ODI setup for the first time since his horrific car accident in December 2022.

Here's what Robin Uthappa had to say (as quoted by Khel Now) in an interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network:

"Both have been incredible and their numbers have been really good. Rahul’s numbers in ODI cricket have been exceptional, and Pant has just had an incredible T20 World Cup. His personal journey has been quite incredible over the last two and a half years. So it’s a tough choice. To be in Gambhir and Rohit’s shoes, it’s going to be a hard one."

Uthappa believes India's new captain-coach combination deserves time for themselves as well to figure out who is a better option out of the two wicketkeepers to start the series.

---

Players will have to grab opportunities with both hands: Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa feels that whichever player gets the chance in the ODI series against Sri Lanka will be aware that he needs to make the most of the opportunity. On this, Uthappa stated:

"With this new combination of the leadership group, we need to see who is preferred. As players, every opportunity that comes their way is going to be a really important one and players will have to grab it with both hands. So wishing both of them the best of luck and I hope the best man wins."

The Men in Blue have just six ODIs left to play before the all-important Champions Trophy in 2025.

​