India’s depth in white-ball cricket is a luxury that most teams can only dream of. However, with such an abundance of talent, tough selection calls become inevitable, often leaving top-tier players on the bench. One such case is that of Rishabh Pant, who has not featured in an ODI since August 2024, despite his undeniable skill as a wicketkeeper-batter.
The Indian team management has consistently backed KL Rahul as the preferred wicketkeeper in ODIs, even though he is not a specialist behind the stumps. This was evident during the recent home series against England and the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy. While Pant’s exclusion might seem harsh given his explosive batting capabilities, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly believes Rahul’s impressive ODI record justifies his selection.
Rishabh Pant, in his 31-match ODI career, has accumulated 871 runs at an average of 33.50, including a century and five half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he has 28 dismissals (27 catches and one stumping). In contrast, Rahul boasts far superior numbers, with 2944 runs in 81 ODIs at an average of 48.26, featuring seven centuries and 18 fifties, along with 65 wicketkeeping dismissals.
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“India are such a strong side, especially in batting. Pant is very good, but Rahul has fantastic numbers in ODIs. That’s why Gautam Gambhir has backed him,” Sourav Ganguly told PTI. He also pointed out that the choice between the two is extremely tough, as both players bring exceptional quality to the team.
The former India skipper further highlighted India’s remarkable batting depth, which allows them to dominate games even when facing pressure situations. Referring to India’s chase of 229 against Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy opener, he emphasized how the team has multiple match-winners at every position.
“India have five Shubman Gills at one, two, three, four, five, six—players who can all score hundreds and win matches. When Axar Patel is batting at No. 5, can you imagine the depth? Even when India was in trouble, they had KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya to finish the job,” Sourav Ganguly explained.
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He credited India’s well-structured cricketing system for fostering an environment where a vast pool of talent consistently emerges. “India’s immense bench strength is a result of the systems we have in place and the way we approach our cricket,” he concluded.
