Rishabh Pant has scored 545 runs in 19 innings in ODI cricket.
KL Rahul’s tenure as India’s stand-in captain hasn’t been successful so far. India lost both the Johannesburg Test as well as the 1st ODI under his leadership, as South Africa registered a 31-run win in the 1st ODI of the 3-match series against India at Paarl.
India looked in control chasing a target of 297 runs against South Africa with Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli having a 92-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, with both the players appearing to be set for big scores after scoring half-centuries.
However, both the players lost their wickets in quick succession and the Indian middle-order also collapsed giving the host a 1-0 lead in the series.
Sanjay Bangar, Team India’s former batting coach, questioned Rishabh Pant for his performance in ODI cricket over the course of his career.
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Talking on Star Sports, Bangar said, "The team management will have to continue to persist with them. Shreyas Iyer has been in and out. There was a phase in his career where he was getting regular chances... and then we already saw the opportunities that Pant got and the kind of impact he's had in Test match cricket."
"He is yet to come good and put in such performances in One-day Internationals, which was expected to be the case when he first came to the scene."
He said that India should back both Pant and Iyer for next few games but called the first ODI defeat as a wasted opportunity for both the players.
"They are going to improve with time but these were like readymade opportunities for them to prove their credentials. You don't often get to bat for 25-27 overs as a middle-order player. When you are chasing at around 6 runs per over, you have the time to settle in and then show off your scoring ability as well. I would say that India should persist with the same personnel but it was a lost opportunity for them," said the ex-Indian coach.
Rishabh Pant could score just 16 runs whereas Iyer only managed 17 runs during the 1st ODI against South Africa. Debutant Venkatesh Iyer scored just two runs.
Rishabh Pant hasn’t been as successful in his ODI cricket as he has in the Test format. He has played 19 games and scored 545 runs at an average of 32.05 with 3 half-centuries to his name.