Aakash Chopra feels Rishabh Pant should have replaced MS Dhoni in T20s versus Australia

Do you agree with what former Indian cricketer has to say?

By: Score Keepers |
October 3, 2017 12:29 pm

Virat Kohli-led team India walloped Australia 4-1 in the recently concluded One-Day International series. MS Dhoni was in decent form throughout the series, however, a few feel that he should be replaced in the shortest format. For India, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were the big takeaways from the series, apart from the other players also made a mark. With the T20 team announced, the likes of experienced players like Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh did not find a place but MS Dhoni was retained. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra seems to think differently on this, he feels Rishabh Pant should have been preferred over MS Dhoni.

“Dinesh Karthik is back in the side for the T20Is against Australia. He’s been rewarded for what he did in the lone T20 in the West Indies, a good IPL and the stellar first-class season. Ashish Nehra is also back, someone who is being considered as a T20 specialist. So selectors are obviously looking for horses for courses,” he said speaking to ESPNCricinfo.

“But the ones who are missing out are the bigger names. There is no Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. Does it have something to do with their fitness test or there is more to it something we would want to know? There is no Jadeja and Ashwin and there is no talk about them being rested either. In fact both of them will be playing Ranji Trophy cricket for their respective state sides. So they will be bowling a lot of overs. Just that not in India colours and not against this Australian side in T20s. So maybe Indian selectors and the team management is now looking beyond these two when it comes to limited overs format,” he further added.

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“One noticeable absentee is Rishabh Pant, somebody who could have been given an opportunity. He did play that lone T20 in the West Indies, got to mid 30s, struggled initially but then eventually found his feet and when you talk about youngsters giving an opportunity, I thought Pant deserved a go because Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be there in the 2019 World Cup is what we’ve been told but the next World T20 is in 2020. That’s a long time away and this was the opportunity, this was the time when the Indian time could’ve tested Rishabh Pant and see what he was worth,” Chopra concluded his analysis.

India is set to take on Australia in the 3-match T20I series from October 7.