AUS v IND 2020-21: Fans react after BCCI drops Rishabh Pant from India’s ODI, T20I squad for Australia tour

Reports suggested that Indian team trainer had told BCCI that Rishabh Pant was overweight.

Reports suggested that Indian team trainer had told BCCI that Rishabh Pant was overweight

Rishabh Pant has been one of the most polarizing players in Indian cricket for the last 2-3 years. The young Delhi batsman-wicketkeeper was earmarked as the successor of MS Dhoni and even shadowed him throughout the last few series that the former India captain played before his retirement.

Selectors backed Pant to the moon, despite the shortcomings in his keeping technique and his maverick batting style, which often saw him get out to reckless shots in limited-overs cricket. However, Pant shined in the Test arena as he became the only Indian wicketkeeper to score Test centuries in England and Australia, apart from a couple of 92s against West Indies at home in 2018.

So much backing Pant got, that he replaced Wriddhiman Saha as the first-choice keeper in Test team on overseas tours, but his batting failed on numerous occasions, and finally, KL Rahul overtook him as the first-choice wicketkeeper in the limited-overs team, given his great form with the bat.

AUS v IND 2020-21: NCA leaves final call on injured Ishant to BCCI; Pant "overweight", says report

Now BCCI stamped their choice as Rishabh Pant was not included in the white-ball squads for the Australia tour as KL Rahul was named the sole keeper in ODIs, while Sanju Samson was picked as a backup in T20Is. Pant was only named in the Test team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It was also reported that Indian team trainer Nick Webb had told the BCCI Rishabh Pant was struggling with weight issues and sources had told Times of India, "The Indian team fitness trainer had shared his perspective on Pant some days ago and we believe he's overweight. Regardless of what's obvious on the field, the BCCI and the selectors will have to take the fitness report on Pant into consideration before they can pick him. The selectors need to speak to trainer Nick Webb before taking the call."

This decision has left the Indian cricket fans divided as many think that the Delhi cricketer got more than his fair share of chances to prove himself and he burnt through all of them. However, a section still feels that he should be persisted with, despite the presence of Sanju Samson, KS Bharat, and other possible names.

Here is how the fans reacted to the news of BCCI, not including Rishabh Pant in Indian limited-overs teams:

 

 

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 27 Oct, 2020

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