Former India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel thinks India will find it hard to fit in their top players in the playing XI so opening with Rishabh Pant could be a good solution.
The second T20I against England will pose quite a bit of headache for the Indian team management as five of their top players return to the side. Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer were part of the Test side that lost the series decider at Edgbaston and were rested from the first T20I.
With the return of these players, some of their players who played in the Ireland series and the first game against England will have to make way. India’s middle order in particular is clogged with several options in Kohli, Pant, Shreyas, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, and Deepak Hooda.
Parthiv Patel is of the opinion that India should open with Pant, which then allows both himself and Karthik to play. Parthiv believes that while Pant had an underwhelming season in the Indian Premier League for Delhi Capitals, he will be high on confidence following his performance in the Edgbaston Test.
“DK has been the No. 1 finisher, Ishan Kishan has been the highest run-scorer for India in T20Is this year and Rishabh Pant is Rishabh Pant.
Although he had a modest IPL, he will bring confidence from that hundred and a fifty from the Edgbaston Test. He can open in the place of Kishan and can get quite a few opportunities at the top,”
Parthiv was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
The other changes in the side are pretty logical ones and Patel has the same opinion. He reckons Shreyas will not feature in the final XI while Axar Patel will make way for Jadeja and Bumrah comes in for Arshdeep Singh.
“Axar Patel will be replaced by Ravindra Jadeja. Jasprit Bumrah will also come in for Arshdeep Singh. Shreyas Iyer I think might not make it to the playing XI. Both Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant might come back but it will be interesting to see who will be left out,”
he added.
India are leading the three-match T20I series 1-0, with a comprehensive victory over the hosts by 50 runs at Ageas Bowl. They will be looking to continue the form and clinch the series on July 9.
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