Former skipper Sourav Ganguly once again said the Indian cricket team would sorely miss young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant during the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
“India will miss Pant in the World Cup. I don’t know in whose place but he will be missed,” the former cricketer said while speaking to reporters at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is starting in the UK from May 30.
The World Cup squad for India was announced in April, and the national selectors had picked an experienced Dinesh Karthik over 21-year-old Rishabh Pant for the spot of second wicketkeeper.
The explosive young batsman has played 16 matches and scored 488 runs at an average of 37.53, with a strike rate of 162.66.
India will play their first match in the World Cup on on June 5, and the opponent is South Africa. With Kedar Jadhav sustaining a shoulder injury during an IPL match, his availability for the Cup opener has not been confirmed yet, with the medical team adopting a wait-and-watch policy.
Asked if Pant can replace Jadhav in case he doesn’t recover before the tournament, Ganguly said: “He (Jadhav) is injured. It’s difficult to say whether he will get fit or not. I hope Kedar gets fit.”
Ganguly is the adviser to IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, and Pant plays for it. The player scored massive runs for the team, though they failed to make it to the final.
“We played exceptionally well but two other teams made the final. The season just got over, we have not thought about it (the way forward),” Ganguly had said about losing to Chennai Super Kings in the second qualifier.
(With agency inputs)