MSK Prasad, chairman of the Indian Cricket Control Group (BCCI), confirmed on Monday that Rishabh Pant will be selected in the Indian one-day team ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
Pant was ignored for the upcoming ODI series with three games against Australia, but his performance in the just-ended test series and his ability with the bat in white-ball cricket make him a hot-obsessed player in limited-overs-cricket ,
Pant finished India’s second-highest scorer in the four-game test series that India won 2-1 on Monday after the Sydney Test ended in draw on bad weather conditions and heavy rain on the fifth and final day.
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Pant scored 350 runs in the series with an average of over 58, including his undefeated 159, which he scored on Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
A look at his form in the Test Series and the improved performance in the Wicket games in the tests was surprising after he was not inducted into the ODI team. This is especially true for the World Cup in England, which is only a few months away. Pant made his first Test 100 in The Oval last year in England and has since improved a lot with bat and gloves.
However, Prasad has made it clear that Pant remains in his plans for the World Cup, with MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik being the most important keeper batsman.
“There is absolutely no doubt that he belongs to one of those wicket [World Cup] guards, and all three of the shortlisted keeper are well-placed, and he’s definitely part of the pour World Cup plans as part of the workload Management, “Prasad told Boria Majumdar of India Today in an exclusive interview.
Prasad went on to say that after four high-intensity tests against Australia, Pant wears some niggles in his body, which is why they are currently trying to cope with his workload.
“They have seen how many players we are resting these days, this kid has played the T20s and the four high-intensity tests, the body is also picking up, he has some puzzles, he needs to recover, I’m sure he will be a lot come back stronger.
“He’s the only goalkeeper to score a hundred goals in England and Australia, we’ve set some goals for him, we’ve got him set to finish the games and come in. This Sydney Test Match will be a turning point in his career “, Prasad added.
His successes with the bat Down Under prompted even the former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar to say that it is only a matter of time before Pant becomes a permanent member of the Indian Limited Overs team.
“It will happen sooner than later (play all three formats for India) but do not forget that these were innings that he played as a test match.
“I think India needs to look at the Tour Test team first, then we can think about bringing it back into the ODI team, and that day is not too far away, we all know that MSD (MS Dhoni ) after the test will no longer play ICC World Cup in June / July, Rishabh will get his chance next season, if not next year at the World Cup, “Gavaskar told India Today.
