There won’t be many shocks for the Indian Test team, but when the national selectors gather in Guwahati on Tuesday to choose Test and ODI teams for the series against Afghanistan, there may be serious discussions regarding Rishabh Pant’s future as vice-captain of the red-ball format.
The 28-year-old flamboyant keeper-batter’s two seasons with the Lucknow Super Giants provide evidence that he is beginning to feel uneasy in his leadership role.
Not to be overlooked is Pant’s lack of tactical acumen when he was given captaincy during a Test match against South Africa in Guwahati in November in Shubman Gill’s absence.
“Indian cricket simply cannot afford to lose a batting match-winner like Rishabh. He has won and set-up Test matches with his aggressive batting. There is a growing feeling among men who matter that whenever he has been entrusted with additional responsibility, he doesn’t seem to make good decisions while batting. Giving him an opportunity to play freely could be foremost on the minds of the selection committee,” PTI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
The selection committee may have sleepless nights due to Pant’s current form, as his position as the second wicketkeeper in the ODI setup behind KL Rahul is still up for debate.
In terms of 50-over setup, Pant might feel the heat with Dhruv Jurel, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan in the ranks.
Jasprit Bumrah will play the one-off Test if the BCCI medical team is satisfied with his workload; however, given his workload during the current IPL, there is little possibility that he will play the three-match ODI series.
“If the medical team approves Bumrah’s workload is under permissible limits, he might play the Test match against Afghanistan. But there is no chance of him playing the ODI series. If there is slightest issue with his workload, he will be rested for the full series,” said the BCCI source privy to developments.
Because he is a strong candidate to be selected for the ODI series against Afghanistan, Prince Yadav, one of the best Indian pacers this IPL season, has not been selected for the tri-nation List A series in Sri Lanka.
The selection committee and secretary Devajit Saikia will have a casual conversation over Suryakumar Yadav’s future due to his dismal form over the past one and half years, even though India will not be playing any Twenty20 Internationals against Afghanistan.
It is acknowledged that Suryakumar’s future as national captain will be greatly influenced by head coach Gautam Gambhir. It will be challenging for him to maintain his spot in the team as a batter on his own if he is stripped of captaincy.
Giving him a chance to lead against England and Ireland and making a decision about his future based on his batting performance in that series is the safest course of action, but there is currently no assurance that the selectors will follow that course.
