We have been grooming backups for Rishabh Pant across all formats, says MSK Prasad

Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant’s miserable form continues and the shot selection of the flamboyant batsman has come under the scanner. He is being looked at as MS Dhoni’s successor behind the stumps for India. He is a destructive batsman but he has flopped with the bat on the majority of occasions at the highest level. Even as many are criticising Pant for the same, the chief selector MSK Prasad has cleared that they are grooming backups for him.

Pant hasn’t grabbed his opportunities consistently at number four in both T20Is and ODIs so far after the World Cup. Moreover, with MS Dhoni in the twilight of his career, he remains the top choice for the selectors and the management but needs to be a bit more consistent. Even the selection committee is not intent on playing only Pant going forward and are already looking for the backups.

We need to be patient with Pant

The chief selector still has faith in the ability of Rishabh Pant and has backed him to make a strong come back. He also highlighted the workload on the youngster as he is the Test wicketkeeper as well and named the backups they are grooming. “I have already said that post World Cup we have been concentrating on the progress of Rishabh. We need to be patient with him, considering the immense talent that he possesses.

“We are monitoring the workload of Rishabh. Of course, we have been grooming backups across all formats. We have the young KS Bharath doing well in the longer format for India A. We also have Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson doing well in the shorter formats for India ‘A’ and domestic cricket,” Prasad said as quoted by Indian Express.

Earlier, Ravi Shastri the head coach of India had admonished Rishabh Pant for his shot selection during the Caribbean tour and said, “We’ll let him be but at times when you see a shot, as the first ball dismissal in Trinidad, if he repeats that, then he will be told. There will be a rap on the knuckles, talent or no talent.” as quoted by India TV.

The 21-year-old who was selected as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper after the World Cup looks fully out of touch with his willow at the moment and has managed to get only four 30 plus scores in his 19 T20I appearances. Currently, he is the part of the squad that will face the Proteas in the 3rd T20I on Sunday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

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