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Rishabh Pant is going through a slump in his form, especially in the shortest format. Being named the captain of Team India for its T20I series against South Africa, Pant has not got going, and when he has, he has failed to convert the starts. In the three T20Is so far, Pant’s score read 29, 5, and 6. In the IPL 2022 as well, Pant failed to play a big and impactful inning while playing for Delhi Capitals. This has drawn criticism from all corners for Pant.
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer also does not look too pleased with Pant’s recent performances. Jaffer has come hard at the wicketkeeper batter for not performing to his caliber and the expectations of everyone. These consistent failures for Pant have also made Jaffer doubt his future in the shortest format of the game. The former India batter has said that he is not too sure about Pant’s place in T20Is going forward as India have better options.
While talking on a chat show on ESPNCricinfo, Wasim Jaffer pointed out that KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik are the better options for India going forwards. “Once KL Rahul comes back, he walks straight back into the side. He can keep wickets as well. If Dinesh Karthik is certain to play, he is also a wicketkeeper. So, I am not too sure - the way Pant has played recently. I won’t call him a certainty,” said Wasim Jaffer.
"I think he still needs to score runs and score consistently. He hasn’t done that in the IPL, he hasn’t done that in many T20Is. And I have said it many times: the way he has played in Test cricket, the way he’s played in quite a few ODI innings as well- he hasn’t done that in T20Is. So, I won’t say that Rishabh Pant is a certainty for me going forward,” added the former cricketer.