Gilchrist feels ‘daring and courageous’ Pant should be in India XI at T20 World Cup 2022

Gilchrist
like
his
former
captain
Ricky
Ponting
weighed
in
on
the
topic
that
has
been
of
debate
lately
on
who
among
Pant
and
Dinesh
Karthik
should
be
in
the
Team
India
starting
line-up.

Although
Gilchrist’s
vote
of
confidence
is
in
favour
of
the
much
younger
Pant,
the
former
Australian
stumper
believes
the
two
wicketkeepers
can
play
together.

“The
dare
of
Rishabh
Pant
and
the
courage
in
him,
the
way
in
which
he
takes
on
bowling
attacks,
I
think
he’s
got
to
be
a
must
in
that
Indian
line-up,”
Gilchrist
was
quoted
as
saying
in
an
ICC
release.

“They
can
play
together,
but
I
think
Rishabh
Pant
has
definitely
got
to
be
in
there.”

India
has
included
both
Pant
and
Karthik
in
the
15-member
squad
for
the
upcoming
T20
World
Cup
in
Australia,
but
the
former’s
underwhelming
record
in
T20Is
might
go
against
him.

Pant
has
934
runs
in
58
T20Is
at
an
average
of
23.94
and
a
strike-rate
of
126.21.
But
he
hasn’t
quite
enjoyed
the
success
what
was
expected
of
him
in
this
format
unlike
Test
cricket
where
he
is
already
an
established
star.

Plus,
Karthik
has
blossomed
as
a
finisher
off
late,
which
augurs
well
in
his
favour.
But
just
like
Ponting,
Gilchrist
too
feels
that
both
the
stumper
batters
can
together
start
in
the
eleven.

“It’ll
be
interesting
to
see
if
they
can
both
play
in
the
same
team.
I
think
they
can.
What
they
bring
to
a
team
…
the
versatility
of
Dinesh
Karthik,
he
can
play
at
the
top
of
the
order,
he
can,
as
he
has
done
more
so
later
in
his
career,
be
in
the
middle
and
late
overs
to
finish.
He
has
a
really
nice
touch
game,”
the
former
Australia
wicketkeeper
batter
added.

Pant
was
not
picked
in
the
eleven
during
the
T20I
series
opener
against
Australia
on
Tuesday
(September
20).
However,
there
is
a
chance
that
the
wicketkeeper-batter
may
play
in
the
second
T20I
on
Friday
(September
23).