Former India cricketer wants selectors to take call on Pant, 'He hasn't done well in...'

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has said that the Indian team selectors will have to take a tough call on Rishabh Pant if he fails to perform in the upcoming tour of Bangladesh.

Chopra, while speaking on his YouTube channel, said the selectors will have to make a decision regarding Pant, adding that they will have to decide whether the team should move forward or keep going with him in white-ball formats. Chopra said Pant has not performed well in ODIs and T20Is for India despite getting so many opportunities.  

"He [Pant] has been chosen by the selectors to serve as vice-captain. Given that he is Dhawan's deputy, he will get two more opportunities in the series. What will happen next, though? That is a serious question. Even if he performs poorly, it will be time to make a decision regarding him. Should we move forward or keep going with him?" Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"Everyone now perceives him as a unique player with the X-Factor—a talented player who stands out from the crowd. He hasn't, however, up to this point lived up to the reputation in the white ball format. He is currently the top wicketkeeper-batter in Tests not just in India but worldwide. Only the top-order batters have played innings like his. The fact that he hasn't done well in ODIs and T20Is to justify the opportunities he has been given is also a fact. Though he is a part of the upcoming tour (Bangladesh), selectors will have to think about him if he doesn't perform," he added. 

Pant;s performance in recent past

Pant has not received a consistent run in the white-ball formats over the past 12 months. He was part of the T20 World Cup squad in Australia, where he only got to play in two matches in the latter stages of the tournament. Pant failed to create an impact with the bat, leading to criticism from experts and fans. Pant played the T20I series against New Zealand, where he scored 17 runs in two matches at an average of 8.50 and with a strike rate of 94.44. In the first ODI against New Zealand, Pant scored 15 off 23 balls. 

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