IND vs AUS 2nd T20: Rishabh Pant is a MUST in Indian starting line-up, says THIS Australian legend

For his sheer ‘courage and dare’, Rishabh Pant should always be a part of India’s starting XI during the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022, feels Australian great Adam Gilchrist. There has been a debate on who among the two should be in starting line-up and it seemed that Gilchrist’s vote of confidence is in favour of the much younger Pant.

“The dare of Rishabh Pant and the courage in him, the way in which he takes on bowling attacks, I think he’s got to be a must in that Indian line-up,” Gilchrist was quoted as saying in an ICC release. “They can play together, but I think Rishabh Pant has definitely got to be in there.”

India included both Pant and Karthik in the 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia but the former’s underwhelming record in T20Is might go against him. Pant has 934 runs in 58 T20Is at an average of 23.94 and a strike-rate of 126.21. But he hasn’t quite enjoyed the success what was expected of him in this format unlike Test cricket where he is already an established star.

Is there room for both Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik in India's #T20WorldCup team next month?

Adam Gilchrist's take https://t.co/TQY7hXQQxd — ICC (@ICC) September 23, 2022

Add to it, Karthik has of late blossomed as a finisher, which augurs well in his favour. But just like his former skipper Ricky Ponting, Gilchrist too feels that both the stumper batters can together start in the eleven.

“It’ll be interesting to see if they can both play in the same team. I think they can. What they bring to a team – the versatility of Dinesh Karthik, he can play at the top of the order, he can, as he has done more so later in his career, be in the middle and late overs to finish. He has a really nice touch game,” the former Australia wicketkeeper batter added.

India will take on Australia in the second match of the three-game T20I series in Nagpur on Friday (September 23). Rohit Sharma’s side are already 1-0 down in the series having lost the first game in Mohali earlier this week.

(with PTI inputs)