Gautam Gambhir’s decision to identify KL Rahul as the No.1 wicketkeeper of the side ahead of Rishabh Pant for the Champions Trophy has been the biggest surprise emerging from the ODI series against England.
“At the moment, KL is a No.1 wicketkeeper for us, and he’s delivered for us,” Gambhir said in Ahmedabad. “And see, when you’ve got two wicketkeepers in this squad, you can’t play both the wicketkeepers with the kind of quality we’ve got. Hopefully, whenever he (Pant) gets that opportunity, he should be ready for it. That’s all I can say at the moment. Right now, KL is the one who’s going to start.”
Pant had been injured during the 2023 World Cup where Rahul played a key role in India’s unbeaten run to the final. Batting at No. 5, he totalled 452 runs at an average of 75.33 and held the middle-order together.
Gambhir’s decision to drop him to No. 6 to accommodate lefthander Axar Patel has also raised quite a few eyebrows. As a result, Rahul’s performance in the first two matches have been disappointing — 2 and 10 in the first two games. When he came in at his usual No.5 for the third game, he made 40 off 29 balls.
It would have been more practical to play Pant in such a position since he is capable of playing a blinder if the circumstances demand. Rahul has to bat at No. 5 or it would be prudent to fall back on Pant since he can accelerate the innings. “Rahul is being wasted at number six,” former India stumper Parthiv Patel couldn’t hold back his ire during commentary.
Gambhir was quick to dismiss such cues saying he doesn’t look at records. He also made it clear that Rahul may have to continue at No. 6 in Dubai.
The head coach’s plan could be more suited for T20 cricket. But in the 50-over format, it would be better to stick to Rahul at No. 5.
“They wanted to try out a lefthander at No. 5 to bring in the left-right combination. But going ahead, all equations will be right if they can fit in Pant at No. 4, and Shreyas Iyer at No. 5. Rahul will have to sit out in such a case,” former national selector Devang Gandhi told The Telegraph.
Gambhir’s decision could go a long way in deciding India’s fortunes.
