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'Need players who can step up. His presence in playing XI is a no-brainer': Jadeja backs India star for 'big matches'
For India, the ongoing Asia Cup T20 acts as a tune-up to this year's T20 World Cup in Australia in the October-November window.
Hardik Pandya's red-hot form and Suryakumar Yadav's aggressive stroke-play have shown how vital their impact will be in India's T20 World Cup campaign later in the year in Australia. But captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid still face the tricky task of finding the perfect team combination and assigning specific roles to players, especially when the tournament is about one month away. During the ongoing Asia Cup T20 that acts as a tune-up to the T20 showpiece event in October-November, India dropped Rishabh Pant for Dinesh Karthik in the hotly-anticipated game against arch-rivals Pakistan.
While Pant missed the opener, he returned for the Hong Kong match after the team management decided to rest all-rounder Hardik Pandya. It remains to be seen whether India will play Pant in the Super Four stage but Ajay Jadeja believes his presence is crucial during a top-order collapse.
Watch: Virat Kohli's 'kancha' gesture for Jadeja after he pulls off spectacular run-out; video goes viral
"His wicket-keeping has certainly improved and I don't think there is a batter who has played like that across all formats," the former India player told Cricbuzz.
"India's problem in ICC events has mainly been the inability to win big matches after losing the top order. But you need players who can step up in such situations, so Pant's presence in that playing XI is a no-brainer for me," he added.
Pant has had a quick rise in world cricket across all three formats. He was also tried out as an opener in the recent England tour.
Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel said "game-changer" Pant needs to be in the eleven as he adds a left-right combination in the batting order. In Pant's absence versus Pakistan, left-handed Ravindra Jadeja came in to bat at the number four spot.
"You have to include Pant in that playing XI somehow. He is a game-changer. He also gives a left-right combination. There is no doubt about KL Rahul's ability, but the injuries he has had and the limited number of games he has played puts a doubt with the World Cup being so close," explained Parthiv.
