Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been struggling a lot in the shortest format of the game in recent times. He was also having a hard time in the recently-concluded 20-20 World Cup 2022. Pant got the chance in the recent ODI series against New Zealand as well. In the first ODI, the 25-year-old scored 15 runs off 23 balls including only two fours. He was yet again picked for the second ODI while Samson was not in the team. However, he did not get to bat as the match was washed out due to rain.
He failed to get the desired results even after batting at his preferred position in both ODIs and T20Is. Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt said he was surprised by India team management’s decision to send Pant ahead of Suryakumar Yadav who is in red-hot form.
“He’s (Pant) a flashy player, plays with a lot of freedom but he hasn’t been able to deliver the kind of performance that was expected of him in the current (New Zealand) series. He should have scored more runs. But I didn’t understand why he was batting above Suryakumar Yadav. You are playing an out-of-form batter in place of someone who is in the form of his life and is playing his best cricket. The in-form player should play more overs. He’s the No.1 batter and you are sending him below an out-of-form player,” said Salman Butt on his YouTube channel.
‘I don’t know what’s going on’- Salman Butt
The 38-year-old said that these decisions can have an impact on Yadav’s form. Surya is currently the world no.1 ranked batsman in T20Is. He smashed a sensational ton against New Zealand in the T20I series and was out for 6 and 4 in the two ODI matches he played at no. 5.
“I don’t know what’s going on. This can impact an in-form player. I don’t know whether this was the case here, but a batter who is in the form of his life would want to play more deliveries,” he added.
India will be touring Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series and two-match Test series. Surya is rested for the tour while Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul will be back in the squad.
