Team India earned an emphatic five-wicket victory against arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-octane Asia Cup 2022's clash on Sunday (August 29). But one thing which has become a serious bone of contention since the 'mother of all clashes' is Rishabh Pant's unexpected exclusion from India's playing XI.
India's another star wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik was given the onus of keeping behind the stumps on the cost of Pant.
Meanwhile, former India cricketer and selector believes that there is no place for Pant in India's playing XI as of now, but at the same time he also raised a question by saying, why the Indian team management would leave out an 'X-factor' player like Pant.
"I think at least for the Asia cup, the Indian team management seems to have decided to have Dinesh Karthik and that is why they want to utilise Ravindra Jadeja as a floater. So, we saw him going up the order at number 4 in the last outing and we may see that happen more often as the game progresses because Jadeja brings a different kind of dimension," Saba Karim told Sports18.
"Also, he's become such a mature left-hand bat who can bat up the order at number 4 or number 5 and if there's an opportunity, he can also come down the order and score quick runs. So, which means that as of now there's no place for Rishabh Pant in the 11," he went on to say.
"But having said that I do believe that Rishabh Pant is such an X-Factor. He can win you games from situations where the team has got no chance whatsoever. So why would you want to keep someone like Rishabh Pant out of the 11?" Saba Karim asked.
However, Karim further admitted that Pant can add value in the shortest format but the flamboyant southpaw needs to better his number in T20Is.
"That is the conundrum which Rishabh Pant needs to come out of. But lately one has seen those glimpses of the kind of form he's exhibited in Test matches. We saw him play a blinder of on innings in one day against England. And similarly, there have been some great performances," Saba Karim said.
"Maybe not on a consistent basis, but I do believe that there's still so much for Rishabh Pant to learn in T20 cricket. He's become a much better player now, but I think with more exposure one can see Rishabh Pant growing in confidence and adding far more value to this T20 side also," he further added.
India went on to win the match against Pakistan by five wickets in a close encounter riding on Hardik Pandya's superb all-round show. They next face minnows Hong Kong on Wednesday (August 31), however, it would be interesting to see if Pant can find a place in the playing XI or continue to sit on the sidelines.
