Ahead of India’s first ODI against Sri Lanka, skipper Rohit Sharma said that it is hard to choose between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper-batter slot, calling both of them match-winners and saying that it is nice to have such selection “problems” while picking up a team. India’s first ODI against Sri Lanka will start on Friday at Colombo. This comes after Men in Blue’s 3-0 clean sweep win in the T20I series. It isn’t just the Rahul vs Pant call that Rohit has to take for the wicket-keeper’s spot but also a Shivam Dube vs Riyan Parag decision that the India skipper would be contemplating on ahead of the series opener.
Speaking ahead of the game in the pre-match press conference, Rohit said, “I will need to discuss with the head coach. You will see it tomorrow when we play the game.”
However, Rohit was pleased with this problem of plenty, wherein two talented players could pip each other out for a specialist role based on their performances.
“It is a tough call. Both are quality players. They are match-winners in their own way. It is always nice to have problems picking up the team like that.”
“When you are discussing too much on who to pick or leave, then that means there is quality in the team. Which I think is a good thing. I look forward to these problems till I am captain,” he concluded his point.
A big quandary for India ahead of the ODI series would be around the wicketkeeper’s role.
In Rishabh Pant’s absence due to a horrific accident, KL Rahul donned the role in the fifty-overs format for a significant period in 2023, including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at home and the subsequent South Africa tour.
However, with Pant’s return both players are in the squad and India needs to pick one player as a wicketkeeper in the XI.
KL Rahul has impressive batting numbers when being the designated wicketkeeper in ODIs. In 35 matches where he kept wickets for India, he has 1355 runs at an average of 58.91 with two hundreds and ten fifties. He also has 48 dismissals standing behind the stumps.
Pant, meanwhile, also had good numbers in his last year of appearance in ODIs. In 2022, Pant made 336 runs in 12 games, scoring his maiden ODI hundred (125* off 113) against England in Manchester.
This makes the choice between the two a tough one for India.
Having retired from the T20I format after captaining India to a World Cup win in June, Rohit was questioned on how he felt about moving away from the format.
However, the India skipper lightened up the entire press conference by stating that “mentally” he was not out of the format yet.
“The only difference I feel is that, I have felt like I’ve been rested from the T20Is, like it used to happen in the past. And then a big tournament will come up, and we have to again get ready for the T20Is,” said Rohit.
“That is how I feel. I do not think, I am completely out of the format,” he added.
India’s tour of Sri Lanka started on July 27 with the T20I series, with India securing a 43-run win. In the second T20I, India secured a seven-wicket victory in a rain-affected match.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue clinched a win in the super-over in the third match. The third T20I was tied and India secured a win in a thrilling super over to clinch the series 3-0.
The R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is getting to host the 50-over matches. The three ODIs will be held on August 2, August 4, and August 7.
India’s Predicted XI vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube/Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed/Arshdeep Singh
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