"You can't just move away because he has done something else in another format" - Dinesh Karthik calls Rishabh Pant's ODI criticism "unfair"
Dinesh Karthik has called out the "unfair" criticism that has come Rishabh Pant's way recently. He said because of the amount of cricket India play across formats, people are judging the wicketkeeper-batter's importance in the ODI team based on his T20I numbers.
Pant was named in the squad for the ongoing three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. However, before the first ODI on Sunday, December 4, the BCCI said he's been released after consultations with the medical team.
The board didn't specify why but said he'll be back for the Test series, which will start on December 14.
Some fans who slammed the southpaw's poor form in the T20Is and ODIs against New Zealand celebrated the news. Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik countered them by saying:
"We need to look at it separately. In one-day cricket in the last 10 innings, he averages 45-plus. He obviously got the match-winning score of 120 (125 not out) in the recently concluded series in England. So he's done very well for himself and when someone has done very well for himself, you cannot look at him and say 'Oh he should be from one-day cricket.'"
He added:
"I think, you know, you need to give him the opportunity to be out there and do well and if he doesn't do well, then move on. But you can't just move away because he has done something else in another format. I think that's something that's unfair to the player as well.
"I think because of the amount of cricket, especially T20 that is played, obviously, they are comparing that and adding those scores and saying, 'Oh, he hasn't done well'. That's not how we need to look at things."
Although he has consistently failed to impress in T20Is, Pant scored a half-century each in the four ODI series before the New Zealand tour.
Pant is being seen as a wicketkeeping option for the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, after KL Rahul's confidence-boosting half-century at No. 5 in the first ODI against Bangladesh, he might have to compete with Shreyas Iyer for the No. 4 spot.
"Good that Rishabh Pant has taken a break" - Dinesh Karthik
Karthik further cited the stat that Pant has played 69 days in international cricket in 2022, the second-highest after Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan.
He said the 25-year-old deserves this break because he's still as crucial as ever for India's Test team. Karthik stated:
"That's a lot of international cricket there. And you have to also understand that there's been a lot of days where he hasn't played but been a part of the team. Add that and that is far more than Mohammed Rizwan as well. You know, it's good that he has taken a break.
"I hope he's okay, medically. If they are giving him medical leave, it must be something. I am [hoping] he gets well soon because I am sure Team India will definitely require him for Test cricket."
If he returns to play the Tests, it will not only be Pant's first red-ball game against Bangladesh but also his first international match in the neighboring country.