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Gautam Gambhir’s View on Rishabh Pant Questioned After BCCI and Agarkar Deny Him Duleep Trophy Captaincy
Gautam Gambhir’s View on Rishabh Pant Questioned After BCCI and Agarkar Deny Him Duleep Trophy Captaincy
Former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra has been surprised by the decision made by the BCCI not to appoint the champion wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant as the skipper of one of the teams in the upcoming Duleep Trophy competition.
When the squad for the new Duleep Trophy was announced on Wednesday, it had a mix of surprising and expected selections. Cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Ravichandran Ashwin were not included, which was expected. However, players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad were the standout picks for their respective teams. The Duleep Trophy will start on September 5, with India A, B, C, and D teams competing for the trophy over 17 days. All six matches will be played in Anantapur.
The format has been adjusted to give players essential practice before a long Test season, which includes 10 matches at home and in Australia. This tournament is especially important for Iyer and Rahul, who haven't played a Test match since March. Gill, Iyer, and Ruturaj Gaikwad will have increased responsibilities as captains of India A, D, and C teams, respectively. Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead India B, which includes players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, and Rishabh Pant.
It's quite surprising that Pant isn't the captain and is playing under Easwaran. This decision by BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and his team is unexpected, especially since Pant was once a strong contender to succeed Rohit Sharma as captain before his unfortunate accident. In IPL 2024, Pant returned to competitive cricket and led the Delhi Capitals as their skipper. Has Pant fallen down the pecking order? Aakash Chopra's question is particularly relevant, given that Test cricket is where Pant truly excels and performs at his best.
Aakash Chopra expressed his surprise, saying, "Rishabh Pant is not a captain. He has been selected in Abhimanyu Easwaran's team and is playing under his captaincy, which is absolutely okay. However, is Rishabh Pant not even a candidate for Test captaincy? I am a little surprised." He added, "I am not aligned with this personally because the best version of Rishabh Pant we have seen is as a Test cricketer. He is the only wicketkeeper in Indian cricket history to have scored centuries in South Africa, England, and Australia in Test matches."
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