Ahead of the first T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad, India skipper Virat Kohli has come out in support of the under-fire Rishabh Pant, saying that the team management trust the ability of the youngster and he should be given some space to do well.

Read Also: Farokh Engineer suggests Rishabh Pant to work on his flawed wicket-keeping technique

Ever since Pant replaced the legendary MS Dhoni in the limited-overs circuit, he is facing the wrath of the fans – be it for his batting, wicket-keeping skills or his suggestion to captain while going for DRS calls.

"We certainly believe in Rishabh's ability. But I think it's a collective responsibility of everyone around as well to give that player some space to do well. If he misses a chance, people can't shout MS' (Dhoni) name in the stadium as well. It's not respectful because no player would like that to happen. You are playing in your own country and you should get support rather than always thinking what mistake this guy is gonna make. No one wants to be in that position,” Kohli told reporters on the eve of the opening T20I.

Pant had a tough time in the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh last month. His lack of judgement while going for the Decision Review System (DRS) calls was a major factor behind India’s seven-wicket defeat in the first T20I in Delhi.

Moreover, the 22-year-old grabbed the headlines in the second T20I at Rajkot by collecting the ball in front of the stumps, thereby missing Liton Das' stumping. In the decider at Nagpur, he perished while attempting a slog and finished the series with 33 runs to his name.

After the series, Rishabh coped extreme criticism as many fans demanded his snub from the squad and asked to groom someone like Ishan Kishan or Sanju Samson.

However, then skipper Rohit Sharma had said that Rishabh Pant should be left alone and Virat echoed the voice of his deputy.

"As Rohit pointed out this as well, he needs to be left alone. He is a match-winner and once he comes good we will see a a different version of him which we have seen in the IPL where is he free, relaxed and he feels there is a lot more respect coming for his abilities and what he can achieve in the team. He needs to feel that more around him and he can't be isolated to an extent that he gets nervous on the field. All of us need to make him feel like he belongs and we are all for him rather than against him," the Indian captain remarked.