New Delhi, July 25: Along with India embarking on a new era of T20Is with Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir at the helm, the composition of the ODI team leading up to the Champions Trophy next year will also capture the attention of observers.

A crucial factor for the ODI team will be the formation of the middle order. In the ODI World Cup last year, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer held down the fort for India in the middle-order, especially while Rishabh Pant was recovering from a serious car accident.

But with Pant back in India’s ODI team after 20 months, it means India has a situation where three players will be competing for two middle-order spots. In the opinion of R Sridhar, the former India fielding coach, Pant is a must-start player, while either Rahul or Shreyas should be chosen for the three ODIs against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

“I’m not very sure if Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag make it to the ODI playing eleven because Virat and Rohit are going to be back. So if you look at the top three, it’s going to be Rohit, Shubman and Virat - it’s a given. So in my opinion, between Rishabh, Shreyas and KL Rahul, only two can play. So one keeper has to play.”

“Even if you take Shreyas’ performances in the ODI World Cup held in India last year, it was brilliant, so was KL Rahul's. But Rishabh Pant will be that left-hander India needs in the top six. So that is something which to me is a non-negotiable. So Rishabh Pant, to me, will be an automatic choice as a keeper batter, and KL and Shreyas have to fight it out for that spot,” says Sridhar in an exclusive conversation with IANS, facilitated by Sony Sports Network.

In statistics provided by Cricket-21 to IANS, Rahul has been India’s third leading run-getter in ODIs since 2020, amassing 1931 runs in 45 innings. He’s followed by Shreyas at fourth spot, who’s scored 1907 runs in 44 innings.

Though Pant has 519 runs in 13 innings in the same time period, the gulf in runs scored by him, Rahul and Shreyas is due to his prolonged absence from the game caused by that accident in December 2022.

Interestingly, Pant’s boundary percentage stands at 59.7%, compared to 45.6% for Rahul and 52.8% for Shreyas. In terms of strike-rate, Pant stands at 107.5, which is higher than the ones Rahul (91.4) and Shreyas (100.4) have.

With his unorthodox strokeplay, Pant shined for India in the T20 World Cup as a counter-punching number three batter, though he did little in the knockouts. The white-ball tour of Sri Lanka gives him a chance to evolve towards being a consistent long-term white-ball batting mainstay for India.

According to Sridhar, who has been closely watching Pant since he made his international debut in 2017, the wicketkeeper-batter is unlikely to be preoccupied with these matters. He attributes this to Pant’s changed outlook on life and the game after surviving the accident.

“I can tell you one thing, Rishabh would not be thinking about that. He would just be taking each day of his life, each game in his life, as a bonus. He will be looking to enjoy whatever he does. I’ve seen him now having extreme gratitude for what he’s got in life.

"He’s got a different perspective now after this miraculous comeback, an absolute fairy tale of a comeback, we must say. And aren’t we happy for it? I’m absolutely chuffed for that kid. From here on, he’ll just take each day, each game as a bonus in his life.

"He will enjoy it, and contribute for the team’s success. He won’t be someone who will be looking to cement his place in the team or doing a repeat of what he did before the unfortunate accident. He would just be looking to go and contribute for the team, make India win and enjoy what he plays.

"But having a cricketer like him brings so much onto the table for the Indian cricket team. It’s so much of a brand that he brings along with him. If he’s fit to play, I think the Indian think tank will not go anywhere else. He’s the man behind the stumps, and the man in front of the stumps, going to win your games," he said.

Sridhar also highlighted how Pant’s decision to rest and treat his knee niggle before the 17th over proved instrumental in India’s ultimate success in winning the trophy. "He’s the man who is going to change the momentum of the game. Like you saw in the (T20) World Cup final, when things were going terribly against India, he changed the momentum by taking a break, calling the physio onto the ground, taking treatment."

"He broke the rhythm of Miller and Klaasen. Then next over, the game changed on itself and the rest is history. So that is what Rishabh brings onto the table - extremely good cricketing acumen. Batting and keeping is bonuses. Plus, he will bring a great atmosphere in the change room. He’s a fun-loving guy, who will play a prank and always be laughing and smiling.

"So he will take the pressure off everyone else around him, and that is the Rishabh Pant. We all know and that is exactly how he will be. He won’t be caring about how many matches he’s going to play from here on. But he’s going to be changing the lives of people around him," he concluded.

Watch the live coverage of India Tour of Sri Lanka, 7 PM onwards starting on July 27, Live on Sony Sports Network.

(IANS)

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