Given the amount of great talent at India’s disposal, it is natural that the team selectors have a difficult time figuring out the perfect playing XI. While other positions offer a single-faceted problem where the selectors have to replace one player with another better player, the wicket-keeping position is where much of the selection woes lie.
Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant are currently the two wicket-keeping options that India has. While Pant does the wicketkeeping job well, it is the batting where the young southpaw has failed to emulate his test form. Karthik meanwhile continues to do well whenever he gets the time; which is very little.
India skipper Rohit Sharma has now hinted that Dinesh Karthik would be given a bigger role in the team.
“I wanted both of these guys to have a number of games under their belt before the World Cup. When we went to the Asia Cup both of these guys were in the fray to play all games,” Rohit said at the post-match press conference after winning the T20I series against Australia.
“But I just feel that Dinesh needs a little more game time. He hardly got to bat (this series). Just maybe three balls. So that’s not enough time,” Rohit added.
“Pant also needs game time obviously. But looking at how this series was it was important for me to just stick to that consistent batting lineup.”
The Indian captain has said that Karthik’s and Pant’s inclusion in the team would depend upon the situation in the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa.
“I don’t know what we’re gonna do against South Africa. We just need to go and see their bowling, what sort of bowling lineup they’ll play with, and who are the best guys for us who can handle that bowling lineup. It all depends on that. We want to be flexible in our batting. So if the situation or if the thing demands that we need a left-hander, we will bring in a left-hander if we need a right-hander, we will continue to do that.
“But we’ll try and manage those guys pretty carefully. I do understand that they need game time before the World Cup but there are only 11 players you can play, unfortunately,” concluded the 35-year-old.
