Rishabh Pant should focus on red-ball cricket: Gautam Gambhir

NEW DELHI: One of the most significant developments from India's squads for the upcoming white-ball series has been the exclusion of Rishabh Pant from ODIs and T20Is. Though reports came of him being asked to report to the NCA for a strength and conditioning programme, the future of Pant in India's white-ball scheme of things is under dark clouds.

In 2022, Pant scored 364 runs in 25 T20Is, averaging 21.41 at a strike-rate of 132.84. In 12 ODIs this year, he made 336 runs, averaging 37.33 and strike-rate of 96.55. But in Tests, Pant has been at his best, making 680 runs in 12 innings at an average of 61.81 and strike-rate of 90.90.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir thinks that Pant needs to focus on red-ball cricket while he waits to have a chance at making the cut for white-ball cricket. "That's why he's not part of both squads. His white-ball numbers are not that great as compared to his Test numbers."

"That's why people like Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, who's kept wickets in the ODIs, they are now ahead of Rishabh Pant. Look at Ishan Kishan, when he got that opportunity, he scored a double hundred in ODIs, so how can you ignore someone like him?"

"Probably Rishabh will have to wait for his opportunity if he gets that chance in white-ball cricket. At the moment, he should focus on red-ball cricket. We know he's got the talent, but he has got enough opportunities in white-ball cricket, where he was asked to open the batting or be in the middle-order. The management has tried every possible way for him to succeed or given him the platform to be so in white-ball cricket, but unfortunately that didn't happen," said Gambhir during an interaction organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the upcoming Sri Lanka tour of India. IANS

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