Ahead of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting Friday, the Indian team faces a problem of plenty with comeback man Rishabh Pant and the replacement KL Rahul competing for the wicketkeeper’s slot.
In Rishabh’s absence due to a horrific accident, KL donned the role in the 50-overs format for a significant period in 2023, including the ICC Men’s cricket World Cup at home and the subsequent South Africa tour.
However, with Pant’s return both players are in the squad and India needs to pick one player as a wicketkeeper in the XI.
“I’ll need to discuss this with the head coach. You’ll see it tomorrow when we play the game,” India skipper Rohit Sharma stated in the pre-match press conference. KL Rahul has impressive batting numbers when being the designated wicketkeeper in ODIs.
In 35 matches where he kept wickets for India, he has 1355 runs at an average of 58.91 with two hundreds and ten fifties. He also has 48 dismissals standing behind the stumps.
Pant, meanwhile, also had good numbers in his last year of appearance in ODIs. In 2022, Pant made 336 runs in 12 games, scoring his maiden ODI hundred (125* off 113) against England in Manchester.
This makes the choice between the two a tough one for India.
However, Rohit was pleased with this problem of plenty, wherein two talented players could pip each other out for a specialist role based on their performances. “It’s a tough call. Both are quality players. They’re match-winners in their own way. It’s always nice to have problems picking up the team like that.
“When you’re discussing too much on who to pick or leave, then that means there’s quality in the team. Which I think is a good thing. I look forward to these problems till I’m captain,” he added.
Looking forward to the three-game series, Rohit believed in treating the bilateral encounters as important contests in their own right and not simply a preparation ground for the upcoming bigger tournaments.
“We want to come here and play good cricket. This is no practice ground. We want to get something out of the series. It is as simple as that.”
Instead of an emphasis on experimentation among personnel, Rohit was in favour of getting more out of the players on the field.
“For us, when we play a series or a game, we want to get something out of it as a team. If some batter did something different, or if the bowler did something else, we discuss about that in the dressing room.
“We want to get something out of a series, but not at the cost of [winning], showing no intent or purpose. Maintaining the standard of Indian cricket is very important, and if you can maintain that and then end up losing, then that’s fine.”
Having retired from the T20I format after captaining India to a World Cup win in June, Rohit was questioned on how he felt about moving away from the format.
However, the India skipper lightened up the entire press conference by stating that “mentally” he wasn’t out of the format yet.
“The only difference I feel is that, I’ve felt like I’ve been rested from the T20Is, like it used to happen in the past. And then a big tournament will come up, and we’ve to again get ready for the T20Is.
“That’s how I feel. I don’t think, I’m completely out of the format.”
For India, the three matches against Sri Lanka and a three-match ODI series against England next year are the only 50-over games in the build-up to the ICC Champions Trophy next year.