Rishabh Pant has been on the receiving end of immense criticism. There is no doubt or discussion regarding his ability in Test cricket, and his performances speak for themselves. It is in T20 cricket, though, where Pant has failed to live up to the expectations. The same can be said about ODI cricket as well. If we take out his recent 125(113) vs England in England out of the equation, Pant hasn't really come up with an innings of substance or a match-winning performance.
Numbers Side With Pant
What do the stats say? Well, Pant has played 26 ODIs for India. He averages 34.60 and has a 100 and five fifties against his name. His strike rate is 106.65. This includes a couple of 32s, two 35-plus scores and a 48. These aren't bad numbers by any distance, at least as far as ODI cricket is concerned. His recent 125(113) vs England was a clear indication of what Pant brings to the table.
Then why is Pant's place in ODI cricket being questioned?
Poor T20 Form
The answer is in his performance in T20 cricket. The team has played a good amount of T20s over the past year or so. His performance, no doubt, has been poor. In 56 innings for India, Pant just has 987 runs to his name, a shockingly low strike rate of 126.37 and just three 50s to his name.
Now, the idea of Pant being out of the eleven and then not really performing has spilt over to ODI cricket, where he has clearly been more consistent.
As far as T20 cricket is concerned, Pant has been given immense chances, and it wouldn't be an overstatement to say that time might just have run out for him in the shortest format of the game. This is particularly because the team has players like Kishan and Samson waiting in the wings.
Permanent in ODIs
Rishabh may not have done so much in ODI cricket as he has done in Test cricket, but he has surely done enough to warrant a place in the eleven and be the team's number one choice wicketkeeper.
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The management too needs to arrive at a quick decision. If they want to go ahead with Pant, they need to go ahead with him at full throttle. No second opinions. This again isn't just restricted to Pant, but to everyone and anyone the management decides to go ahead with.
With all said and done, Rishabh Pant too would know that time and chances for him to prove his mettle in white-ball cricket are limited. Whenever he steps onto the field the next time, he would want to bring forward his A-game.
Let's see what Pant has got in store for us next.
