File image of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.© AFP
While most of India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad will be easy picks, some crucial areas continue to divide opinion among former cricketers, experts and fans. One of the contentious positions is the role of the wicket-keeper batter in Team India’s setup, with three top quality candidates for the role. KL Rahul has been the established wicket-keeper batter in ODIs for quite some time, while Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson are also very much in the mix. Now, Former India cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Sanjay Bangar have stirred debate by leaving out Pant from their 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy.
Pant returned to competitive ODI cricket only in 2024, when India toured Sri Lanka for a three-match series. However, neither Manjrekar nor Bangar were in favour of picking Pant.
“Pant was away from cricket for a long time. He did make a good return in T20Is and Test, but he never had that good form in ODI cricket. KL Rahul should be your first-choice keeper,” said former India batting coach Bangar, speaking on Star Sports, according to Hindustan Times.
Manjrekar batted for the selection of Sanju Samson over Rishabh Pant as India’s back-up wicketkeeper for the Champions Trophy.
“I have been a good believer in Samson. Yes he wasn’t scoring runs initially and maybe he isn’t a fit down the order. But if India want a big hitter for the last 10 overs, and I agree with Sanjay Bangar on Pant,” said Manjrekar.
Pant played only one of the three matches in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Walking in to bat at No. 4, he failed to impress, scoring just six runs in nine balls.
On the other hand, Samson hasn’t helped his case either. Despite impressing in T20Is, Samson was left out of Kerala’s squad for India’s 50-over domestic tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, because he did not attend a camp with the side.
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