Former Australia captain calls India’s decision to play Dinesh Karthik ahead of Rishabh Pant ‘ridiculous’
There is only one match left in the Super 12 stage of the 20-20 World Cup 2022 for India, and there is no sign of the playing Rishabh Pant. He only appeared in a match when Dinesh Karthik was injured during India’s loss to South Africa, and he came in as a substitute wicketkeeper.
Karthik hasn’t been able to deliver as expected as a finisher. In his three batting appearances, he scored in the single digits. Experts have been urging Pant to be included in the starting lineup, especially since he is the squad’s only specialist left-handed batter. Former Australia captain Ian Chappell shares this viewpoint.
He opined on the Indian team combination during a discussion in the Sydney Morning Herald about a struggling Tim David being included in the Australia XI. “What has Tim David done at the international level? Sometimes, selectors pick people on domestic form, and I think India is a classic example. They are picking Dinesh Karthik ahead of Rishabh Pant, ridiculous! Rishabh Pant should be playing every game. But, that’s a tendency,” Chappell said.
“I have been saying ‘Let’s wait on Tim David, let’s play him after the World Cup, get him some international matches.’ And let’s see if he can belt them around. And Not just belt the average 120kmh guys, can he belt the 150kmh, guys? Because that’s not so easy,” he added.
India in the mega event so far
In the meantime, India is on the verge of qualifying for the semi-finals. The Men in Blue have won three out of their four games so far. On Sunday, they face Zimbabwe in their final Super 12 Stage match. A win here would guarantee India a place in the knockout stages.
So far, former Indian captain, Virat Kohli has been great for the Indian team in the mega event. The star batter has scored 220 runs in four games, with three half-centuries. The 33-year-old also is the highest run-scorer of the tournament until now.
