Former India coach Ravi Shastri has made his preference between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik for the semi-final match against England. Due to Dinesh Karthik’s poor form Ravi Shastri wants Pant to play in semifinal match against England on 10th November.
Dinesh Karthik, the ‘finisher’ for Team India, isn’t performing well in the T20 World Cup. Only 14 runs, or a pitiful 4.66 average, have been scored by the right-handed batter in four games. Indian fans are becoming increasingly unhappy about his position in the team as a result of his bad performance. Rishabh Pant was given the opportunity to play in place of Karthik against Zimbabwe on Sunday, but the 25-year-old had a dismal performance and was removed cheaply for just three runs.
Former India allrounder and coach Ravi Shastri meanwhile, has backed Pant over Karthik for India’s semi-final match against England, calling him an ‘X-Factor’.
“Dinesh is a lovely team player. But when it comes to a game against England or New Zealand, just seeing their attack, I think you need a robust left-hander, who can turn it on and a match winner and a left-hander,” Shastri said after India defeated Zimbabwe to finish top on Group 2.
“He has done well against England. He recently won a match on his win against England, a one-day game. I would go with Pant, not just because he played here, but because of the X-factor angle, he can bring to the semi-final.”
Shastri also emphasized on the playing conditions in Adelaide as boundaries are shorter on one side and Pant could exploit that.
“You are playing in Adelaide, short boundaries square, another reason why a left-hander should be there to disrupt the England attack. If you have too many right-handers, there is a sense of sameness to it. England have a nice attack, a varied attack of left-handers and right-handers.
“You need a left-hander in your team, who can be dangerous and win you a game in the back overs even if you have lost 3 or 4 wickets at the top,” Shastri concluded.