Former Indian wicket-keeper, Deep Dasgupta recently took part in an Instagram live session with Sportskeeda where he touched various topics of modern-day cricket. He declared the Indian team’s bowling attack as the best in the world, while he also made it clear that if he held a place in the selection committee, he would pick KL Rahul in T20Is.
There is a lot of confusion in the Indian team right now. Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Wriddhiman Saha are fighting for one spot in the team with Sanju Samson being the wildcard in the race. Pant has received many opportunities to prove his talent. However, he has failed to cement his place in the unit.
Rahul, on the other hand, grabbed the opportunity by both the hands as he established himself as the best contender for this role in New Zealand.
Dasgupta on why he picked KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant
“In T20s definitely I feel KL Rahul should keep for India, he understands how to keep and bat well. He’s a proper wicketkeeper, he’s technically sound. We need to invest in Rishabh Pant in the long term. You have to be creative in how to mentor him or guide him, you need to show him tough love and play domestic cricket. It will be a shame if he does not achieve as per his potential.”
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He felt that in T20Is it is fine to have Rahul as the keep. Pant is a long term investment, who should be groomed a lot. Further describing why Rahul deserves a long run in T20s, he continued:
“Someone like Rahul batting at No.5 in ODI cricket, I understand why the team wants him to bat in that position. He’s such a class batsman, with the right kind of temperament, he has all the gears to play from 1-6. In T20s, he looks effortless. That’s the kind of talent and game he has. Looking at that Indian team’s batting order, it looks good to me.”
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Thus, in this way, Deep Dasgupta expressed his views over the current wicket-keeping dilemma prevailing in the Indian team.
