Mumbai, Jan 24: For Ian Smith, a player of Rishabh Pant’s calibre walks into any T20 side and hence the former New Zealand stumper finds it baffling that the keeper-batter hasn’t been picked for the upcoming World Cup starting in less than three weeks’ time.Pant, who is currently recovering from a side strain, has not been part of India’s T20 setup after the World Cup in Barbados in 2024.
Sanju Samson is the main wicket-keeper batter in India’s World Cup squad while Ishan Kishan is in the reserves.Speaking on the sidelines of the second T20 between India and New Zealand, the former New Zealand wicket-keeper turned commentator expressed his surprise at Pant’s exclusion and would pick him over Samson.“I’d pick Rishabh Pant in my team any day of the week. I’m surprised that Rishabh Pant is not here. He is a wonderfully gifted player. He can win a match. That’s what you’ve got to have with T20 players. They’ve got to be match winners. He’s a match winner,” said the 68-year-old, who is one of the best broadcasters in the game.Given that Samson is the preferred option for the team management, Smith think it was the right call to leave out Shubman Gill to accommodate him at the top of the order.
“I think these sides are all about balance. You haven’t got room in your side for too many players who just have one discipline. In other words, they either bat or they just bowl. It’s all about finding the mix.
“Invariably, you’ll find now that wicketkeepers used to be batting at seven. Now they have to bat probably in the top four to be worth their soap. Their main strength will be their batting.“Their secondary strength will be their wicket-keeping. The sides that have got one of those players who can do equally well with both. New Zealand will end up using Tim Seifert out of the BBL.