For months, several former Indian cricketers were demanding Rishabh Pant be tried as an opener in T20Is, and on Saturday, captain Rohit Sharma fulfilled their long-pending wish. The explosive wicketkeeper batter finally made his debut as an opener in the shortest version of the sport in the second match of the three-match T20Is series against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham. India's move paid well as Rishabh Pant went on to score a quickfire 26 runs off 16 balls, which included four boundaries and a massive six. Moreover, Rishabh Pant was involved in a brisk 49-run opening stand with skipper Rohit Sharma which came in just 4.5 overs, giving India the momentum early in their innings. Rishabh Pant's promotion at the top of the order didn't go noticed within India's former cricketing fraternity, with several ex-players praising the team management for their decision. Among the men who voiced their support for the move, were former middle-order batter Sanjay Manjrekar, former India coach R Sridhar and pace bowling legend Zaheer Khan.

Rishabh Pant's exploits with the bat at the start of India's essay were crucial for the team to seal a comprehensive 49-run victory over England.

After Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma's swift opening partnership, Ravindra Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 46 off 29 deliveries to help India post an imposing total of 170 on the board.

England in response were bundled out for 121 as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc on their top-order, picking up three and two wickets each.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling became the talk of the town when Jos Buttler and his boys were batting, it was Rishabh Pant's elevation to the position of an opener, which hogged the limelight in Birmingham.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar was even “surprised” by the decision to send Rishabh Pant as an opener but said that it was a good move from skipper Rohit Sharma.

“The fight for the spots in the middle.. it has made that easier. Rishabh Pant is out of that grace now. He goes at the top and some people can breathe a little easier now. Suryakumar Yadav played today in the middle-order because Pant could open, otherwise, it would've been difficult for him,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on Sony Sports.

“This is a guy who has succeeded at the Test level, so he has that quality. He plays the new ball well. I can just imagine Rishabh Pant on a big stage (against) a quality bowling attack.. (like) a T20 World Cup semi-final. He will be able to survive that. He has done it before on the big stage. The possibilities are endless,” Sanjay Manjrekar added.

“India have taken out an audacious, brilliant talent that was a little stifled at no.4 and 5 and they have set him free. So, I'm very excited with that possibility. Yes, it makes life a little difficult for KL Rahul who might have to bat at no.3. Virat Kohli's life becomes even difficult, now that Pant is out there. You can't imagine Pant being a one-match wonder. You expect him to carry his form just like Tendulkar does,” the former India batter pointed out.

Meanwhile, ex-India speedster Zaheer Khan too appreciated the move. Khan, however, wants to see Rishabh Pant perform in T20Is because his previous record in the format was dismal.

“Interesting, now I am very curious to see how he (Pant) goes. He is been wanting to do this for a while. The position he wants to thrive in is 1 to 3. And in this format, you can play maximum deliveries only when you play between 1 to 3,” Zaheer Khan said.

“That(opening) also gives you time to build the innings. It’s interesting to see how he approaches his innings and if he comes good, then it will be difficult for the bowlers also. It’s a very positive move from the Indian team and very surprising one for sure,” Zaheer Khan concluded.

Former fielding coach R Sridhar, on the other hand, reckons that Rishabh Pant's promotion to the top slot in T20Is could turn out to be a watershed moment in India's cricket history.

“Hopefully, it's going to be a watershed moment like it happened in 1994 when someone put Mr. Tendulkar at the top,” R Sridhar.

“I think to start with, a left-hander at the top is very, very important. He can make bowling ridiculously silly, and he will walk the talk like Rohit is doing. He will play the way he would want the team to play. He will put off the bowling unit. He will create fear and all the bowlers will focus on him. It will open up the other end,” R Sridhar concluded.

The third and the final T20I between India and England will be played at Trent Bridge on Sunday.