Rishabh Pant has scored just 57 runs in four matches in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa.© BCCI
While the Indian cricket team will feel enthused about Dinesh Karthik’s form since his international comeback in the ongoing T20 International series against South Africa, Rishabh Pant’s form will be a matter of concern for them. India are playing the series against South Africa without some senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav are unavailable with injury. With those four players set to feature in India’s playing XI when they go to Australia for the T20 World Cup in October-November, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik also seem to have consolidated their positions in the team with their performances.
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer feels that when India have all players available, it will be difficult for Pant, who is captaining India in the series against South Africa, to get a spot in the playing XI.
“I think if you select the next T20 team, then DK stays in the XI without a doubt. KL Rahul comes back as and when he is fit, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, I think those 3-4 guys walk into the side. So, I feel Rishabh Pant will find it hard to get a place in that XI,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo.
“I think DK has overlapped Rishabh Pant at least at the moment. I can’t say about the future, but at the moment you would pick DK any time in front of Rishabh Pant,” he said.
After starting the series with a quickfire knock of 29 off 16 deliveries, Pant’s form waned and he could only register scores of 5, 6 and 17 in the next three matches.
India and South Africa will now face off in the fifth and final T20I in Bengaluru on Sunday. The match will be a decider, with the series level at 2-2.
