Nehra: ‘Match-Winner’ Rishabh Pant a Must-Have in India’s WC Squad

The 2011 WC winner has firmly backed the 21-year-old ‘keeper-bat, saying he is one of few ‘match-winners’ in India.

File picture of Ashish Nehra (left) interacting with Rishabh Pant during an IPL 2017 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils.

(Photo Courtesy: Sportswallah)

A pure match-winner, a back-up opener and an effortless six-hitter in the class of Rohit Sharma – Rishabh Pant merits selection in India’s World Cup squad, and there’s more than one reason for it, feels former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra.

Nehra, who has tracked Pant’s progress in Delhi and international cricket since he first joined the Sonnet Club in the capital, gave an elaborate argument in favour of the dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman’s inclusion in not only the Indian squad, but also the playing XI for the mega-event, underway in England from 30 May.

“In a team, there will always be contributors but at a big event like the World Cup, you need players with X-factor. Rishabh Pant is not a mere contributor but a pure match-winner who should be picked for the World Cup.”

Ashish Nehra to PTI

Argument 1: Lack of Left-Handers

21-year-old Pant is a left-handed batsman – not a very common feature in the present Indian setup, and Nehra highlighted that as a significant reason.

“If you look at India’s batting line up, save Shikhar (Dhawan), there aren’t any left-handers in the top seven. You need variety with a left-right combination, where Rishabh perfectly fits.”

Ashish Nehra to PTI

Argument 2: A Floater

The 2011 World Cup winner also believes Pant is equipped to bat anywhere in the order, a quality he thinks will hold India in good stead in England.

“Rishabh can bat at any position between Nos 1 to 7 and so Virat (Kohli) and the team management can use him as a floater.”

Ashish Nehra to PTI

Argument 3: Big-Hitting Ability

The third reason cited by Nehra was Pant’s ability to hit sixes from the word go. Pant’s fearless approach, in the 39-year-old’s opinion, could come in handy in pressure situations.

“If it comes to effortlessly hitting sixes, Rishabh comes second only to Rohit Sharma with his big-hitting ability. India will need that in abundance during the World Cup.”

Ashish Nehra to PTI

Argument 4: A Match-Winner

Finally, Nehra singled out Pant’s ‘X-factor’, and his potential as a ‘match-winner’ as the biggest argument in support of the dasher’s cause.

“No disrespect, this team has three clear match-winners and they are Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. For me, the fourth one is going to be Rishabh Pant.”

Ashish Nehra to PTI

“Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik are all fantastic players, but they are all in the same mould. You need X-factor, which this boy possesses,” Nehra added.

File pictures of Dinesh Karthik (left) and Rishabh Pant.(Photo: The Quint)

‘Pick Both Pant & DK as Batsmen’

Asked whether a seasoned finisher like Dinesh Karthik could be overlooked at the expense of a rookie, Nehra said both the players can make the cut.

“As I have already said, Rishabh could also be your third opener, so DK (as Karthik is referred to) could be your middle order batter,” he said.

But is it wise to have three ‘keepers in the 15?

“I don’t look at it from that perspective. If Rishabh and DK are being picked ahead of specialist batsmen like Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer, then you are looking at them as specialist batsmen.”

Ashish Nehra to PTI

“So why complicate the thought process. As it is we have the peerless MS Dhoni behind stumps so treat both as specialist batsmen,” Nehra concluded.