India vs Bangladesh: 'Rishabh Pant is not making the most out of opportunities,' feels Aakash Chopra

A number of senior cricketers from the Indian side will return to action when India face Bangladesh in a multi-format series consisting of three ODIs and two Tests. Ahead of the ODI series, former India cricketer Akash Chopra made a stern remark regarding the poor form of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

The Southpaw failed to produce anything significant in the recently-concluded New Zealand tour. Referring to his continued lean patch with the bat, Chopra noted that another below-par show during the Bangladesh tour can see the Delhi Capitals skipper losing his position in India’s white-ball unit.

Having the opportunity to bat in two ODIs against the Kiwis, Pant, the vice-captain of the side, managed to record just 25 runs. He also could not utilise the limited chances he got in the T20 World Cup. In this context, Chopra, while speaking on his YouTube channel, explained, “His record in ODIs is superior to T20Is. He had the chance twice and the time to take advantage of it, but he wasn’t able to make the most of it.”

The ex-player further warned that the 25-year-old might not be included in the squad for India’s upcoming fixtures on home soil next year, if this form continues. Another youngster, Ishan Kishan, has also earned his ticket to Bangladesh. However, according to Chopra, the Rohit Sharma-led side will rely on KL Rahul and hand him the keeper’s role. As a reason, Chopra asserted: “Given that Shikhar Dhawan is already in the team, the team may consider KL Rahul to play as a keeper-batter.

“In my opinion, he is still on thin ice. It is definitely a tightrope walk for him. The team’s vice-captain for the New Zealand tour might not be selected for the squad for the forthcoming home matches if he doesn’t play well in the Bangladesh ODIs. Overall, he was unable to make use of his opportunity in New Zealand, and as a result, his future won’t be that easy,” the presenter further added in the last.

India will lock horns with Bangladesh for the opening ODI on 4 December at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. The red-ball action is slated to commence with the first Test beginning on 14 December.

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