Ricky Ponting has called for the inclusion of both Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik aka DK in India's T20 World Cup squad. According to the former Australian skipper, both men are crucial for India's successful campaign Down Under.
Rishabh Pant recently dazzled in England, having made hundreds in the lone Test match and the ODIs.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik had a sensational Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and has since cemented his position in Team India.
Dinesh Karthik is almost certain to bat at number six or seven, considering he has been delivering the goods for the Rohit Sharma-led side since making his return to the national set-up.
“We have seen what Rishabh is capable of in 50-over cricket and I know absolutely what he is capable of in the T20 game,” Ricky Ponting said on the ICC Review show.
“Dinesh Karthik has had his best IPL ever just very recently … and I would be trying to find every way to have both of those guys in my team,” the legendary Australian added.
“Rishabh to bat, in that three-four-five range, and have Dinesh and maybe Hardik Pandya … if you have those guys finishing for you, well that batting line-up looks very, very dangerous,” Ricky Ponting further said.
“Obviously that means someone like (Ishan) Kishan or Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) or (Shreyas) Iyer, someone like that, might miss out and I don't think Surya will miss out given his current form.”
“But when you got so much talent picking an Indian team is always going to be difficult and Pant and Karthik would be the two I would pick ahead of Kishan right now,” Ricky Ponting concluded.
Rishabh Pant slammed his maiden ODI century as Rohit Sharma and company went on to register a five-wicket victory over world champions England in Manchester on Sunday.
With their victory, Team India also secured the series 2-1, having won the first and last matches in London and Old Trafford.
En route to his knock of 125 not out, Rishabh Pant broke a clutch of records, including MS Dhoni’s record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper-batter in a successful run-chase in SENA countries.
MS Dhoni remained unbeaten on 87 in a 50-over game against Australia in 2019 to guide India to their maiden bilateral series triumph Down Under. Rishabh Pant, however, broke that record with a fair margin.
With his match-winning three-figure score, Rishabh Pant became just the third Indian wicketkeeper to make a hundred while chasing a target in ODIs. In 2005, MS Dhoni tore apart the Sri Lankan bowling line-up to cruise through to an unbeaten 183 while Rahul Dravid occupied the third position in the list with his 109 not out against West Indies in 2002.
Before his series-defining knock at Old Trafford, Rishabh Pant broke a 72-year-old record in India's loss in the rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston.
With his scores of 146 and 57 there, Rishabh Pant now holds the record for most runs scored by a visiting team wicketkeeper in a single Test match.
On the same show, Ricky Ponting urged the Indian selectors to name Virat Kohli in India's squad for the mega event Down Under.
“I think if I was an opposition captain or an opposition player, I will be fearing playing an Indian team that has Virat Kohli in it, more than I would be one that doesn’t have him in it,” the 47-year-old Australia great told Sanjana Ganeshan.
“I know there have been some challenges for him, it’s been a difficult time. But every great player that I have seen in this game has been through it at some stage, whether that’s a batsman or a bowler, they have all been through it,” Ricky Ponting noted.
“And somehow, the best (players) find a way to rebound and respond, and it’s only a matter of time before Virat does that,” Ricky Ponting insisted.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest all-format players of all time, Virat Kohli has been going through an extended dry spell with the bat. During the recent tour of England, the former India captain managed to score just 76 runs in his six outings in a Test match, and two ODIs and T20Is each.
While he perished at scores of 11 and 20 in the rescheduled fifth and final Test against the Three Lions in Edgbaston, Virat Kohli was dismissed for 1 and 11 in the T20I games in Birmingham and Trent Bridge.
Though he missed the first clash of the ODI series because of a groin injury, he didn't succeed in changing his fortunes in the remaining two 50-over matches as he registered a total of 33 runs, making 16 and 17 at the Lord's and Old Trafford respectively.
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