Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has slammed India’s team management for not using star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as the opener in the first T20I against the West Indies. On Friday, during the first T20I match against West Indies, Suryakumar Yadav became the eighth batter to open the innings for the Indian cricket team within a year.
SKY became eighth Indian batter to open the innings within a year
With the much-awaited T20 World Cup 2022 just around the corner, the Indian cricket team is still contemplating both starters and backups for each position before they finalize their squad of 15 players for the mega-tournament and the role that the Indian side has experimented with the most is the opening position.
India’s decision to use SKY as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner which didn’t go down well with Mohammad Kaif, who has now extended his support to Rishabh Pant.
Mohammad Kaif believes that Rishabh Pant should get more chances as an opener to prove himself in T20I cricket. It has to be noted that Rishabh Pant had opened in the T20I series against England and impressed everyone with his sublime shots.
Mohammad Kaif slammed team management
Speaking to the Fancode about the same, Kaif said: “Whatever that was, I did not understand it at all. If you were trying Rishabh Pant as the opener for 2-3 matches, then you should have gone with him today as well. Give him at least five chances. And this strategy of captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid, they back the players at least 5-6 matches,”
Kaif feels that SKY is a proper middle-order batter, who can carry on the good work done by the top order and then switches gear in the death overs. He said:
“But this did not happen with Pant. And Suryakumar has the role of controlling the innings in the middle and adding those finishing touches. In fact, his role will remain as the No. 4 batter when Kohli and Rahul return. But Pant should have been tried. Clearly, I did not understand what happened. Ishan Kishan is also waiting.”
The second match of the ongoing 5-match T20I series between India and the West Indies will be played on Monday.
