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'If there is one player close to Rishabh Pant's potential...': Ex-India star picks replacement for Australia series
India will be on the lookout for a wicketkeeper-batter in their upcoming four-match Test series against Australia with Rishabh Pant out due to his road accident.
Rishabh Pant could miss India's upcoming Test series against Australia due to the injuries he sustained in a car accident. Pant had been driving to Dehradun to pay his family a surprise visit when he met with the accident while on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. There are already reports that the 25-year-old could miss out on the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), which will be held after the four-Test series against Australia. KS Bharat has been India's second-choice wicketkeeper in recent Tests but former India spinner Maninder Singh feels that it is Ishan Kishan who the team should be considering as Pant's replacement.
"If Rishabh Pant isn't available for selection due to the unfortunate accident he met with, then I believe the team management should pick up Ishan Kishan (who is also a left-handed batter) for that role across all formats. He's an ideal candidate for Team India if Pant is not around," said Maninder on My Khel.
Kishan's stock jumped last month when he scored a record double century in an ODI against Bangladesh. It was the fastest ever double century and Maninder feels that Kishan, like Pant, has the knack of delivering in the big moments.
"It is the job of the team management and the selectors to reward players of such potential and I strongly believe Ishan Kishan has that knack of a big-match player. I believe if there is one player who's nearby Rishabh Pant's potential across formats, it is Ishan Kishan," said Maninder.
Australia's four-match Test series in India starts on February 9 in Nagpur. The second Test will then be played from February 17 in Delhi after which the tour moves to Dharamsala for the third Test which starts on March 1. The fourth and final Test will be hosted in Ahmedabad and starts on March 9.
