Rishabh Pant is Roger Binny's first choice if Kedar Jadhav is ruled out of the World Cup

Rishabh Pant’s name was not in the 15-man preliminary World Cup squad that BCCI announced as the more experienced Dinesh Karthik was preferred over the youngster. Now as the batting all-rounder Kedar Jadhav’s availability for the mega event, that starts on May 30, is doubtful, former Indian cricketer Roger Binny believes that the 21-year-old Rishabh Pant should be replacing him.

Before the start of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian captain Virat Kohli had attested that the performances in the T2 tournament won’t affect their World Cup selection.  However, the wicketkeeper-batsman from Roorkee has proven his worth while representing the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2019.

A whirlwind of criticisms arose with Karthik’s inclusion at Pant’s expense. But the selection panel led by MSK Prasad quoted that Rishabh Pant has got everything as a batsman to be in the side but the lack of wicket-keeping skills under the pressure is something, which helped Dinesh Karthik to get the nod ahead of him. 

With 488 runs in 16 outings for the Delhi-based franchise, Pant was the 2nd highest run-getter for his team. The left-handed batsman delivered when the team was under pressure, something that the selectors were unsure about.

Pant can change the course of the game

Roger Binny holds that fitness plays a lot of role in such showpiece events with too many fixtures and Kedar Jadhav has often been taken down by injuries. Binny has expressed his strong opinion that Rishabh Pant should be the one replacing Jadhav if he is ruled out. 

”Fitness, as I say, is the key to India’s chances. I have noted that Kedar Jadhav is under a bit of a cloud. If he doesn’t get fit, I would go for Rishabh Pant. He is one of those players who can tear any bowling apart and win you games,” Binny was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Binny heaped praise for Pant, as he believes that the youngster can turn the game around with his powerful striking.”Pant can change the course of a game in ten overs or half an hour. You need someone like him if you want to win major titles. He may come across as being immature in shot selection at times. But how does one learn? Only by playing more, earning your place in the team. He is a long-term investment,” the former cricketer concluded.

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