'If Rishabh Pant plays, he should..', Wasim Jaffer reveals his India playing XI for Pakistan clash

Former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer came out with his Indian playing XI before their first clash of Asia Cup 2022 vs the arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday (August 28) at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, UAE. Jaffer could not decide between two wicketkeepers and Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant, but said that if Pant plays, he should bat at No 5 for India. He also included Ravi Bishnoi as the second leg-spinner in the XI, omitting R Ashwin as third spinner in the team. The other two spinners in his playing XI are Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh make it to his XI as to genuine fast bowlers. There is Hardik Pandya also in his team as a fast bowling all-rounder. 

His playing XI is as follows: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

My India XI vs Pakistan:

1. Rohit
2. KL
3. Virat
4. Sky
5. Hardik
6. DK / Pant*
7. Jadeja
8. Bhuvi
9. Bishnoi
10. Chahal
11. Arshdeep

*If Pant plays, he should bat at no.5.

What's yours?#INDvPAK #AsiaCup — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 27, 2022

Jaffer has omitted all-rounder Deepak Hooda, spin veteran Ravichandran Ashwin and pacer Avesh Khan from his playing eleven. Fans have been left divided over whether Team India should play Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik in the playing eleven during the Asia Cup. Pant`s statistics in T20I do not really justify his talent. Though the wicketkeeper-batter has done well in Tests and ODIs, he has failed to replicate similar success in T20Is at a more consistent rate.

His overall T20I stats read, 883 runs in 54 matches at a sub-par average of 23.86. Pant has scored three half-centuries in the shortest format of the game. In the year 2022, he has played 13 T20Is and scored 260 runs at an average of 26.00.

He has only managed one half-century and the best score of 52*.Karthik rose to prominence once again this year after his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League 2022. In his 16 IPL games for RCB, he scored 330 runs at an average of 55.00 and stayed unbeaten ten times. He also managed a half-century and a best score of 66*.

But he has not really replicated this success in international cricket, though he played some solid knocks. In 15 T20I matches this year, he has scored 192 runs at an average of 21.33.     

With ANI inputs