Recently, India gave opportunities to many wicketkeepers. Team India has high hopes from Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan but none of them have been able to live upto expectations in the shorter format of the game. In my opinion team management should continue to have confidence in these players.
Pant has recently been experimented in different positions but he has not been able to deliver in any of these positions. He has been given many chances. Team management should think seriously about him especially in the T-20 format. I still feel he can be the X-factor in T20 format but he doesn’t have that clarity in his batting which can be seen in Suryakumar Yadav and other players.
By the way, Ishan Kishan has also got many opportunities but he hasn’t been able to capitalise on them. I also believe that it is not easy to score runs consistently in T20 format but the innings should be such that it can play an important role in the team’s victory. It is also true that in this format the ball is not with the wicketkeeper for long duration like other formats so the value of the wicketkeeper is decreasing. In the coming season there are lot of ODI and T20 matches and Rishabh Pant should be given chance since he owns sporting skills and in the coming time his importance could increase as he gives balance to the team.
If we think a little ahead, then Jagadeesan and Jitesh Sharma could also be tried as both of them have done very well in domestic format. IPL and domestic cricket are the basis for selection in the national team. Today times have changed especially in T20 cricket wicketkeeper’s batting skills are given more importance compared to wicket-keeping abilities. Keeping is anyway imperative but good batting skill is must.
The writer is a former Indian wicket-keeper batsman
and selector.