With eight days to go before their first match of the T20 World Cup against Pakistan, the Indian team management and think tank is currently mulling the best possible team combinations. While the top four picks for themselves, the middle order is where it becomes tricky. Especially the No. 6-7 spot. Hardik Pandya will surely be India's No. 5, but the toss-up between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant at 6 has become the hottest debate surrounding Indian cricket.
It is highly unlikely that India will go ahead with both, with Axar Patel knocking on the doors as well. However, going by the number of chances given to both, the feeling is that the management is slightly more inclined towards Karthik, as the veteran wicketkeeper batter has played many an impactful knock, while Pant hasn't quite cracked the T20 code for India yet. Weighing in on the topic, former India batter Suresh Raina however, believes that he could see Pant, whom he called India's X-Factor, getting a few games, given what he has accomplished in Australia.
"He's an important player. He has done it (made runs previously) in Australia. He's scored hundreds there and won the Gabba Test for us. He's an X-factor because if you see from 1-6, there's no leftie batter. So, how they are going to use him, it's very important. He's a very good player and knows how to bat in pressure situations. Hopefully, the management must be thinking about how to bring him in. So, in one or two games, you could see him playing again," Raina was quoted as saying by Zee.
What can also work in Pant's favour is that he is a left-handed batter. With Jadeja injured, India have only Axar and Pant as the two left-handed options who can bat. And while the all-rounder has shown recently that he can bat, Pant is in a league of his own when it comes to purely batting. Emphasising on the importance of having left-handers in the team, Raina recalled how having left-handers such as himself, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir helped India achieve success in previous World Cups. And while he didn't directly prefer Pant over Karthik, the former decorated India batter hinted at having a left-hand, right-hand combination.
{{/usCountry}}What can also work in Pant's favour is that he is a left-handed batter. With Jadeja injured, India have only Axar and Pant as the two left-handed options who can bat. And while the all-rounder has shown recently that he can bat, Pant is in a league of his own when it comes to purely batting. Emphasising on the importance of having left-handers in the team, Raina recalled how having left-handers such as himself, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir helped India achieve success in previous World Cups. And while he didn't directly prefer Pant over Karthik, the former decorated India batter hinted at having a left-hand, right-hand combination.
{{/usCountry}}"I would say the presence of a left-handed batter would be very important in the middle. From No. 1-6, we don't have a left-hander and I'm sure the opponents will have two-three left-handed bowlers. We have seen it in the past - 2007, 2011 and 2013 - the role Gauti, Yuvi Pa and I played. When Yuvi Pa and I played, we would scare the opponents. Now Rahul, Rohit will have to decide how they have to go about it. I'm sure they must be thinking over it, but whoever they play, we have to win. You need to bring the X factor with Hardik and who can be the X factor? I think Rishabh being a left-hander could be better," Raina told PTI.
"DK has got an opportunity, he has been given a role. But I'm not saying whether they should prefer Pant over DK. Whoever gets a chance, needs to take a lot of responsibility and win the game. A left-right combination can upset the rhythm, especially when the grounds in Australia are big. It's important to have a left-handed batter in the middle. Pant has done really well in Australia and won the Test series there. So we'll see."