The injury to Ravindra Jadeja will prompt Team India to make a change, according to former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris, who also said that Rishabh Pant should be in the top 6 for the remaining matches of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE.
After playing an instrumental role in India’s win over Pakistan and Hong Kong, Jadeja was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament owing to a knee injury. Akshar Patel has been named as Jadeja's replacement by the BCCI.
The Men in Blue played Jadeja at number four, Hardik Pandya at number five, and Dinesh Karthik, who was picked over Pant, played at number six in the match against Pakistan on August 28.
The second game against Hong Kong saw Pant return to the starting XI, but only after Hardik Pandya was rested as the Indian team persisted with Karthik as their first-choice finisher.
To counter leg-spinners and left-arm spinners who would take the ball away from the right-hander, Styris believes the Rohit Sharma-led team needs a left-hander in the top 6.
"I think you have to make a change now, I think Rishabh Pant has to come in for Dinesh Karthik," he told Star Sports on Friday (September 02).
"Karthik has done nothing wrong, the form that he has displayed over the last 6-9 months has been outstanding but you can't go in with a top 6 with only right-handers, I don't think it works, opposition teams look to exploit that, especially with the ball turning away. Rishabh Pant, just with his ability to take on left-arm spinners and leg-spinners, I think he now has to come into the side as a forced change, because Jadeja was so important to this Indian team," he added.
Dinesh Karthik was picked over the southpaw because of the sublime form he has been in since IPL 2022, wherein he scored 380 runs at a strike rate of over 180.
(STAR SPORTS INPUTS)
