Rishabh Pant released for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy; KS Bharat called as cover

Rishabh Pant is really low on confidence and his recent displays in front of the stumps as well as behind the stumps are a testament of that. The youngster has been drawing criticism from all around for not living up to the expectations in recent times. He has performed really poorly in the ongoing home series and has already lost his place in the playing XI of Tests.

Fortunately for him, the selectors are still backing him and have named him as the specialist wicketkeeper-batsman in the T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming series against West Indies. And in order to make sure that the youngster does well against the Caribbean outfit, the Indian selection panel has decided to release him from the Test squad.

Pant is a part of the ongoing series against Bangladesh but has now been released to play in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Delhi. The southpaw will play Delhi’s next two Super League matches, against Haryana on November 24 and Rajasthan on November 27. He will also be available for the semifinal and final if Delhi progress that far.

“Rishabh will be playing all the six matches (3 T20Is and 3 ODIs) against the West Indies. The selectors thought it’s only prudent that he goes and plays in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Delhi,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Replacement named

Meanwhile, Andhra wicketkeeper KS Bharat has been picked as Rishabh Pant’s replacement. He will join the Indian team as cover for Wriddhiman Saha for the remainder of the second Test in Kolkata. Andhra have not qualified for the Super League in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The Andhra star has been a regular face for India A and was yet to earn any call from the senior team.

A consistent performer in the domestic circuit, he has so far played 69 games, scoring 3,909 runs at an average of 37.58. He has eight centuries and 20 half-centuries, which includes the highest of 308 against Goa in 2015.

“I played the first pink-ball match in Lucknow when it was introduced in the Duleep Trophy in 2015,” Bharat said. “I got a call and was asked to join the team. I’m reaching at 8.30 tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to sharing the dressing room with my idol Virat bhai. Wriddhiman is one of the best wicketkeepers of the current era. I’m hoping to learn a lot from them.”