Regardless of Rishabh Pant’s return to the ODI squad, KL Rahul will proceed as India’s wicketkeeper for the ODI collection in opposition to England and sure for the Champions Trophy as effectively, India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed.
Rahul took on wicketkeeping duties throughout India’s 2023 World Cup marketing campaign in Pant’s absence whereas he was recovering from a automobile accident. Though Rahul carried out effectively within the match, Pant made a profitable comeback to the T20I squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India received in Barbados.
Rohit emphasised that Rahul has confirmed his value within the ODI format and earned his place within the taking part in XI for the England collection. He additionally famous that Pant’s return offers the crew with flexibility in choice, calling it a “good headache” to have.
“Look, clearly KL has been holding wickets for us within the ODI format for plenty of years now and he is executed fairly effectively. You understand, for those who take a look at the final 10 or 15 ODIs, he is executed precisely what the crew required him to do.
“Rishabh is effectively, you recognize, he is there. You understand, we have got an possibility of taking part in both of them. Each are fairly able to profitable video games on their very own. So it is a good headache to have whether or not to play KL or Rishabh. However clearly taking a look at what now we have executed up to now, having that continuity can be essential for us. So that’s the place we stand as a crew,” mentioned Rohit whereas addressing the press convention forward of the primary ODI in opposition to England in Nagpur.
Rohit acknowledged that the crew had restricted ODI matches final yr however affirmed their dedication to taking part in aggressive cricket.
“There’s a sure kind of cricket that we wish to play, sure model of cricket we wish to play and whether or not it implies that now we have to go and do what we did within the World Cup, we’ll try to try this.
However once more, the World Cup was one-and-a-half years again, you recognize. So clearly we have to regroup as a gaggle now and take into consideration what we have to do right here. Clearly, there’s a whole lot of expertise within the squad so you possibly can’t preserve telling them precisely how it’s essential put together for each collection. They perceive what is anticipated of the crew. So, there’s not a lot speak about what sort of method we wish to have.
These guys know precisely what’s required of every considered one of us. So it is nearly coming collectively now as a result of it has been some time since we performed this format. So, it is nearly coming collectively and making an attempt to do the place we left off through the World Cup. If it takes a bit of little bit of time. So we get, you recognize, it isn’t straightforward to start out what we did within the World Cup. As I mentioned, the World Cup was one-and-a-half years in the past. So we have to try to take into consideration what we have to do right here now and begin contemporary,” mentioned Rohit.
The India captain outlined the reasoning behind deciding on leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy within the ODI squad, regardless of already having Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel within the lineup.
“He has actually proven one thing completely different. I perceive that it’s in T20 format, however he is clearly obtained one thing completely different about him. So we simply needed to have an possibility and see what we are able to do with it. Clearly, through the collection it presents us a possibility to play him at some stage and see what he’s able to.
When requested if the crew administration is contemplating Chakravarthy for the Champions Trophy, Rohit responded that whereas he is not at the moment specializing in Chakravarthy for the squad, the leg-spinner is actually in rivalry.
“Proper now we aren’t enthusiastic about whether or not we will take him or not, however positively he might be in rivalry. If issues pan out very well for us and he does what’s required, then positively there’s something that we want to consider,” he added.
India’s captain refused to speak about who all are within the image as replacements for a fast-bowling allrounder in case Hardik Pandya will get injured like he did within the 2023 World Cup. “Why do you have got unfavorable ideas,” Rohit mentioned. “We should always have constructive ideas.
“Why would you like him to get injured? Let’s all pray that each participant is 100 per cent match and stays match,” he added.