It’s a question that might continue to irritate the Indian team management up until T20 World Cup unless they find a way in the six matches they have to play in the lead up to the marquee event hat starts from October 16. It’s the tricky choice on whom to play out of veteran Dinesh Karthik and youngster Rishabh Pant.
Both are wicketkeeper-batters, capable of playing big hits. However, while Karthik has made a return to the Indian team earlier this year on back of his polished finishing skills, Pant is a regular across formats who is also projected to lead India some day.
Unlike Karthik though, Pant’s role is unassigned – he has been played at the top, in the middle order and as a finisher too. However, with the top and middle-order pretty much sorted, the fight is for the finisher’s role with two strong candidates in Karthik and Pant staking their claim.
When India vice-captain KL Rahul was asked about the dilemma, he expressed his helplessness at the tough choice but said it could boil down to the surface and the opponent they are facing.
“It really depends on what kind of combination we want to go with. It will always depend on firstly the surface that we’re going to play on. Secondly, the teams that we’re playing against. And yeah, these decisions are not easy,” Rahul said during a media interaction on Monday.
However, Rahul also added that Karthik and Pant have different roles.
“Obviously, both of them are really high-quality players and they have been playing really well. Both of them to me do different roles. So for us as a team, and for the captain and coach, obviously at the leadership group, is to see what role we need on that particular day,” he said.
Rahul though has his own challenges to overcome with his slow strike-rate a worry for India. The 30-year-old though says he’s working on it and praised the healthy dressing room environment where players aren’t afraid to commit errors.
“The most important thing for a player in that dressing room is what his captain, coach and his (fellow) players think of him. Only we know what role is expected out of each person and everyone is trying to give their best. And not every time will a player succeed. That is the kind of environment we’ve created where players are not afraid to make mistakes or fail. We work the hardest for this,” Rahul said.
He added, “Criticism happens every time. We criticise ourselves more than any of you do. We dream of winning; We are representing the country, we want to win the World Cup all that is in our mind. When we don’t do well, it hurts us the most. It’s about what goes on in our team. We have a support staff and leader who not only appreciates when times are good but also in tough times when an individual has done well, they back us.”
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