The Indian cricket team registered a stunning win over arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 at the MCG on Sunday. With only two runs needed off as many balls for victory, wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who has emerged as the best finisher for the Indian side off-lately, left everyone heartbroken as he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. His dismissal added more drama to the high-pressure game.
As DK was trying to make room for a sweep, Nawaz went flat in his trajectory and angled the ball down-leg. DK missed the ball on a sweep and ricocheted off the pad behind the wicket, which was spotted by Mohammad Rizwan.
Will Rishabh Pant Replace Dinesh Karthik?
Team India has trialed both Dinesh Karthik as well as Rishabh Pant in the role of a ‘finisher’ in T20I cricket over the last few matches at the Asia Cup 2022 as well as the three-match series against Australia. While Pant played a majority of games in the Asia Cup, on the other hand, Karthik was preferred during the Australia series.
DK has been instrumental in India’s win in many games off-lately, however, he couldn’t take India home in its first match of T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan. Following his failed attempt, Rishabh Pant fans started demanding his inclusion in India’s playing XI in the next match. Check out some of the reactions from the fans:
This game also showed you need Rishabh Pant in T20i, no matter how others have “good stats”.
DK and KL Rahul position in team has to be questioned, especially performances in big games.#INDvsPAK @BCCI
— Shivz (@Shivz_Tweets17) October 23, 2022
Rishabh Pant’s talent is getting wasted due to Dinesh Karthik. No hatred for DK at all, a fantastic talent but Pant has huge role to play in future and this is the best opportunity for him, don’t make him to sit in bench again and again @BCCI
DK can be played as a batsman though— Karthik Damle (@damlemaharaj) October 25, 2022
This is why u need rishabh pant
Dk can’t play if there is any collapse
But pant can anchor and slog cna do both.
Imagine playing axar at 5— M. (@IconicKohIi) October 23, 2022
What about this combination?
Rohit and virat opening and Rishabh pant at No4
By this,we can play both Dk and Pant as well as pant can be that left handed batsman we need in middle overs to counter spin
— Gouthamalt1 (@Gouthamalt) October 25, 2022
Many people now want Pant over DK because he praised Rohit yesterday in his ig post ….
Meanwhile Rishabh Pant😂😂 : pic.twitter.com/JygM1dmqxr
— Kaygee18 (@Kaygee1803) October 23, 2022
In fact, ahead of India vs Pakistan, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir had given a stern warning to captain Rohit Sharma to play Rishabh Pant ahead of DK. Gambhir opined that Rishabh Pant would be a better option than Dinesh Karthik in terms of batting explaining that the veteran has shown the intention to play only as a finisher while Pant has more versatility as a batter.
Karthik returned to the Indian T20I side in June 2022 and appeared in 24 games. It indicates he has the support of the team management and is one of the trump cards for the ongoing tournament. He was brilliant in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League as well, where he scored 330 runs in IPL 2022 at an average of 55. It has to be noted that he remained unbeaten on more than five occasions as he finished games smoothly.
So, with the kind of performances, Dinesh Karthik has given in the last few months, he surely deserves a place in India’s playing XI as it strengthens India’s lower order. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant hasn’t left a mark with his performances with the bat in the shortest format of the game for a long time now. In fact, he was seen struggling to score runs in the last few games he played for the Indian side.
Though the Indian side will continue with DK as their finisher, however, there is a slight chance that Captain Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid will be considering bringing in Rishabh Pant into the playing XI for their next match against the Netherlands at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. He might replace Axar Patel, who failed with the ball as well – leaking 21 runs in the only over he bowled in the match. If India decides to bring Pant into the playing XI, then Pandya will have to play the full-time role of the fifth bowler in the side.
Team India Predicted Playing XI vs the Netherlands
Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal
