Former Australia captain Ian Chappell reckons Rishabh Pant should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper ahead of Dinesh Karthik and should start in every T20 World Cup match. Karthik has been India’s wicketkeeper in all four Super 12 matches, while Rishabh Pant has been on the bench. While Karthik was expected to be the first-choice keeper ahead of the World Cup, many believe Pant should be playing ahead of the 37-year-old keeper in the XI.
Chappell compared Tim David’s inclusion in the Australian T20 World Cup squad with the Indian setup and cited Karthik’s comeback. There has been a widespread clamour to include Pant in place of an under-firing Karthik.
“What has Tim David done at the international level? Sometimes, selectors pick players on domestic form, and I think India is a classic example. They are picking Dinesh Karthik ahead of Rishabh Pant… ridiculous! I mean, Rishabh Pant should be playing every game. So, that’s the tendency,” Chappell said on Sydney Morning Herald.
“I’ve been saying to wait on Tim David, let’s play him after the World Cup, get him some international matches. Not just belt the average 120kmh guys, belt the 150kmh guys. Because that’s not so easy,” he further stated.
The ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia, in all likelihood, will be Dinesh Karthi’s last appearance in the format as the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee started the transition phase in the shortest version of the game, keeping the 2024 edition in the West Indies and USA in mind. Notably, Karthik, who played 28 T20Is in 2022 till the Bangladesh game, was ignored for the three games against New Zealand.
