India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir made it clear that KL Rahul is team’s first-choice wicketkeeper going into the Champions Trophy and the flamboyant Rishabh Pant is not being considered as an option immediately in the playing eleven.
Among all the players that were chosen for the England ODIs, only Pant wasn’t given a start by the head coach as all the others got at least one game if not three.
Rahul, who initially batted at No. 6 in the first two games, didn’t look comfortable and fared far better at the familiar No. 5 position with a useful 40 off 29 balls in India’s one-sided 142-run victory in the third ODI here.
“KL is our No 1 wicketkeeper and this is what I can say at the moment. Rishabh Pant will get his chance but at the moment it is KL who has done well and we cannot play two wicketkeeper-batters,” Gambhir told media at the series-ending press conference on Wednesday.
When asked about the reason for sending Axar Patel at No 5 in first two games when Rahul had a great average at that position, the former India opener reiterated his oft-stated stance of team coming first ahead of individuals.
“We don’t look at averages and stats. We look at who can deliver when,” he replied. He also justified dropping young opener Yashasvi Jasiwal from the final squad of 15 for the Champions Trophy, saying the left-hander has a long career ahead. Jaiswal made way for a fifth specialist spinner in Varun Chakravarthy, who was rewarded for his stellar T20 show.
“The only reason was we wanted a wicket-taking option and we know Varun Chakravarthy can be that option. Yashasvi Jaiswal has a long future ahead and we can only play 15,” Gambhir gave a short and crisp rationale for dropping the Mumbai batter.
He refused to get into details about Jasprit Bumrah’s back-injury that eventuated in him getting ruled out of the Champions Trophy. “Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out. I cannot give details because the medical team decides in NCA and they will give (the updates),” the coach said.
Gambhir also urged people not to mix-up formats while comparing performances, a case in point being Shubman Gill, who scored two fifties and a hundred in the ODI series on flat batting tracks after failing miserably on bouncy and seam-friendly Australian tracks.
“Problem is we keep judging people after every innings. Shubman Gill is young. Test cricket is tough and going forward he can deliver in that format,” Gambhir defended the young turk.
