I would pick Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant ahead of Ishan Kishan for T20 World Cup: Ricky Ponting

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, one of the finest cricketers to have played for Australia, believes that India should go with Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik as wicketkeepers for the T20 World Cup. There have been many developments in the Indian camp as talented players are emerging, and as a result, there has been no decision regarding the World Cup squad yet.

While it looks like Pant has regained his mojo in the white-ball format with his magnificent ton against England in the third ODI of the recently concluded series, he is yet to find his rhythm in the T20Is. As for Karthik, he made a comeback to the Indian squad after a very successful IPL season. He was called up for the South Africa home series and played his finisher’s role to perfection.

Ponting and Pant have worked together as the former is the head coach of the Delhi Capitals at the IPL, and the latter is the skipper of the franchise. Thus, he believes that Pant has the ability and he should be in the squad alongside Karthik, who also deserves a spot.

“We have seen what Rishabh is capable of in 50-over cricket, and I know absolutely what he is capable of in the T20 game. Dinesh Karthik has had his best IPL ever just very recently… and I would be trying to find every way to have both of those guys in my team,” Ponting said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.

If you have those guys finishing for you, well that batting line-up looks very, very dangerous: Ponting

Apart from Karthik, the Indian team saw another player making a comeback- Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder, who had been out of the setup ever since the completion of the World Cup last year, marked his return in style when he captained Gujarat Titans in the franchise’s maiden IPL stint and led the team to a victory. After an impressive show, he earned his place back in the Indian team and has brilliantly fulfilled his role as a batter and the bowler.

“Rishabh to bat, in that three-four-five range, and have Dinesh and maybe Hardik Pandya… if you have those guys finishing for you, well that batting line-up looks very, very dangerous,” Ponting added. The Australian veteran also feels that with Pant and Karthik on the side, Ishan Kishan might miss out on the wicketkeeper-batter spot in the team, but he added that Suryakumar Yadav, who recently hit a century against England, might get a chance given his current form in the T20I.

“Obviously, that means someone like Kishan or Surya or Shreyas Iyer, someone like that, might miss out and I don’t think Surya will miss out given his current form. But when you have so much talent, picking an Indian team is always going to be difficult and Pant and Karthik would be the two I would pick ahead of Kishan right now,” Ponting added.