Former Indian cricketer and cricket expert Aakash Chopra admitted that the Indian cricket team has given a lot of opportunities to Rishabh Pant, but the wicketkeeper-batter has failed to live up to expectations in limited-overs cricket.
The year 2022 has not been great for Pant so far, and Chopra feels if the left-handed batter fails to score runs in the remaining 2 ODIs in New Zealand and then on the Bangladesh tour, then the national selectors and BCCI must take some harsh decisions on the keeper’s future in white-ball cricket.
Notably, Pant has played a total of 25 T20Is this year so far and could muster only 364 runs, including a lone half-century, whereas the youngster scored only 326 runs in 10 ODIs, including two fifty-plus scores and a ton. He is currently under immense pressure, having failed to capitalize on many opportunities.
Aakash Chopra said in a latest video on his YouTube channel: “The selectors have named him [Pant] as the vice-captain. Since he’s Dhawan’s deputy, he will be given two more chances in the series. But what will happen after that? That’s a big question. Even if he doesn’t play well, then it will be time to take a call on him. Should we continue with him or start moving ahead?”
He continued, “What’s happening now is everybody is looking at him as a special player, a talented one who has the X-Factor. But in the white ball format, he hasn’t lived up to the reputation thus far. In Tests, even at the present, he is the best wicketkeeper batter not just in India but across the globe. Only the top-order batters have played terrific innings like him.”
Chopra signed off by saying, “But it’s also a fact that he hasn’t done well in ODIs and T20Is to justify the opportunities he has been given. Though he is a part of the next tour [Bangladesh] as well if he doesn’t perform then selectors will have to think about him.”
