“That’s the spot where he can blossom” – Wasim Jaffer suggests ideal batting position for Rishabh Pant in T20Is
Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has suggested the best batting position for Rishabh Pant in the T20Is while playing for India. He feels the wicketkeeper batter is best suited to open the batting in the shortest format of the game.
With the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia later this year, Men in Blue are trying to find their best team combination. India already gave some youngsters a chance against South Africa and Ireland but their main preparation will be kickstarted from three T20I series against England.
Now, ahead of the vital T20I series, Jaffer has come up with an interesting suggestion to get the best out of Rishabh Pant in the T20I arena.
Rishabh Pant should open the batting in T20Is, says Wasim Jaffer
The legendary batter of Indian domestic cricket, Jaffer has come up with the radical idea of Rishabh Pant opening the batting alongside the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma in T20Is.
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“Indian think tank should think about opening with Rishabh Pant in T20Is. I think that’s the spot where he can blossom. #ENGvIND,” tweeted Wasim Jaffer.
Indian think tank should think about opening with Rishabh Pant in T20Is. I think that's the spot where he can blossom. #ENGvIND
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) July 6, 2022
Interestingly, Rishabh Pant has never opened the batting for Team India in the T20Is. He has batted at the number three position on six different occasions, scoring 117 runs at a moderate strike rate of 127.17.
In case you don’t know, with the rise of Dinesh Karthik and Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant’s place in the Indian playing XI in T20Is is looking in danger. Furthermore, his current form with the bat in the shortest format of the game isn’t helping either.
He has scored only a single half-century in the T20Is since 2021. Moreover, the left-handed southpaw had a fairly disappointing series against the Proteas where he scored only 58 runs in five matches.
It comes as a more surprise as Rishabh Pant is consistently blasting runs in Test cricket. With that being said, Wasim Jaffer’s suggestion might work wonders for India as Pant is a batter who can take full advantage of the fielding restrictions in the first six overs.
