Shikhar Dhawan’s injury was a bothersome issue for fans of the Indian cricket team. However, the news of him being sidelined for three weeks came as a nasty surprise. Speculations were rife over who would replace the opener. While many suspected Shreyas Iyer and Ambati Rayudu to get calls, some voted for Rishabh Pant. Eventually, reports said that Pant got the call to board a plane to England. Sources told Times of India that the BCCI was arranging the best possible means to have Pant join the team quickly.
There has been no official word from the BCCI yet. TOI quoted a source as saying that Pant is being called in advance as standby so that he can acclimatise. In case Dhawan can’t continue, the board will look for an official green light from the ICC for a replacement and Rishabh can join the team. The report also added that Pant will only be a part of the 15-member squad if and when Dhawan is ruled out of the tournament in its entirety. For now, Pant has been supplied with all the necessary luggage and other official equipment.
Pant won't be short of support...
Pant’s fans are ecstatic about him getting a call to the biggest tournament in cricket. The wicketkeeper-batsman was in tremendous form in the recently concluded Indian Premier League. In the 16 matches that he played, Pant scored 488 runs. In the last couple of matches, he has scores of 49, 53*, 5, 78*, 6, 7, 46. He is well-suited to the shorter versions of the game and is also in good form, making him a good choice for the Indian team. Pant has played in England before. However, his numbers aren’t pretty good in that country. Here’s hoping that he can turn things around.
As it stands right now, the BCCI is monitoring Dhawan’s condition. Pant is likely to travel with the team but he cannot be a part of it until Dhawan is ruled out completely. The advantage is that Pant will be close at hand in case Dhawan cannot continue. In that case, KL Rahul might open the innings with Rohit Sharma and Pant may play at number four. Currently, reports said that Rahul and Rohit will open the batting with Hardik Pandya at number four. Dinesh Karthik might find a spot somewhere in the lineup.
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