Picture Credit: Twitter
India’s wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant is not having a great time as of late. The 24-year-old is struggling to score runs. Ever since that match-winning century against England in the third ODI, Pant has not really taken off in white-ball cricket. Although Pant might argue that he has not gotten consistent chances, he has been dismal on limited occasions.
Pant consistently failing to score big and Sanju Samson warming the bench has also attracted criticism. Now, as India are in Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, Pant was a part of the squad and it might have been the last chance for him. But the wicketkeeper batter suddenly disappeared from the dressing room (as stated by KL Rahul). The BCCI said that Pant has been released following consultation with the medical team.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has come to Pant’s defence saying the team can’t just move away from the youngster. Karthik cited Pant’s average in the last ten ODIs he has played and said that the wicketkeeper batter deserved a few more chances before the management finally decides to move on.
"We need to look at it separately. In one-day cricket in the last 10 innings, he averages 45-plus. He obviously got the match-winning score of 120 (125 not out) in the recently concluded series in England. So he's done very well for himself and when someone has done very well for himself, you cannot look at him and say 'Oh he should be out from one-day cricket'," said Karthik.
"I think, you know, you need to give him the opportunity to be out there and do well and if he doesn't do well, then move on. But you can't just move away because he has done something else in another format. I think that's something that's unfair to the player as well. "
"I think because of the amount of cricket, especially T20 that is played, obviously, they are comparing that and adding those scores and saying, 'Oh, he hasn't done well'. That's not how we need to look at things", Karthik further added.