Adam Gilchrist bats for Rishabh Pant’s place in India’s T20I XI
Rohit Sharma has a few concerns on his hand leading up to the T20 World Cup in Australia, commencing next month. While the bowling seems like the more obvious and glaring one at the moment, he will also need to address the situation regarding the involvement of Dinesh Karthik or Rishabh Pant, or both in the Indian team. Former Aussie cricketer and one of the pioneers of his generation, Adam Gilchrist weighed in on the hot topic.
Adam Gilchrist, who was one of the pillars of the all-conquering Australian team under Ricky Ponting, is regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batters of all time, and his opinion is held in the highest regard on the matter. Gilchrist suggested that the Men in Blue should include Rishabh Pant because of his aggressive approach and courage at the crease. He stated that both Pant and Dinesh Karthik can be accommodated in the team at the same time.
“The dare of Rishabh Pant and the courage for him, the way in which he takes on bowling attacks. I think he’s got to be a must in that Indian line-up. They can play together, but I think Rishabh Pant has definitely got to be in there,” Gilchrist told ICC.
Adam Gilchrist makes a case for the veteran Dinesh Karthik
The three-time World Cup winner then went on to highlight the importance of Karthik in the team, who brings his versatility to the Indian side. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter has played in a number of positions throughout his career and has recently shown his immense ability as a finisher in the shortest format of the game. The ex-cricketer stated that Karthik can be a part of the team because of his skills and experience at the top level.
“It will be interesting to see if they can both play in the same team. I think they can. What they bring to a team…the versatility of Dinesh Karthik, he can play at the top of the order, he can, as he has done more so later in his career, be in the middle and late overs to finish. He has a really nice touch game,” the Australian legend added.
