KL Rahul vs Rishabh Pant - who should be Team India's wicketkeeper for the 2023 World Cup?

With Rishabh Pant being “released on request” from the ODI squad for the ongoing series in Bangladesh, vice-captain KL Rahul did the wicketkeeper duties in the first two matches.

Rahul donned the gloves despite another regular keeper-batter, Ishan Kishan, being part of the squad. Incidentally, this is not the first time Rahul has kept wickets in place of Pant. The latter was dropped from the white-ball squads for the tour of Australia in 2020 as Rahul kept wickets.

At that point, it seemed like India would carry on with the ploy as it allowed them to play an additional batter or bowler. However, Pant forced his way back into the white-ball squads on the basis of some spectacular batting performances in Tests.

Simultaneously, Rahul’s injury woes meant that he was more out of the team than in. But with Pant struggling to hold on to his place in the team in limited-overs cricket, it’s a catch-22 situation for the Team India management all over again.

Speaking about his latest stint as keeper, Rahul told the media during a press conference after the first ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka:

“We haven’t played a lot of ODIs in the last eight to months, but if you look at 2020-21, I have kept wickets, and I have batted at Nos 4 and 5. This is the role that team has asked me to be ready for in white-ball cricket as I have done it before.”

Rahul’s comments are significant considering that the Men in Blue are preparing for the ODI World Cup to be played in India in 2023. While Rahul, as a keeper in ODIs, gives the team additional flexibility for sure, whether it is a feasible option is another debatable matter altogether.

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Expert view

KL Rahul keeping wickets during India’s tour of Australia in 2020. Pic: Getty Images

According to Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul can do the job of a wicketkeeper along with batting at No. 5 in ODIs. Discussing the option, he told Sony Sports during the first ODI:

“He has been batting at No.5 for a while now. Maybe that is the position that he is looking to consolidate. What that does is it gives India the extra option. If you have somebody as a middle-order option who can keep wickets then you can look at taking another bowler.

"I call him an all-rounder because he can keep wickets, he can open the batting and can bat at No.5. KL Rahul is an all-rounder as far as I am concerned.”

While Gavaskar has backed Rahul for the role of keeper-batter, the possible move comes with its own risks. As evident in the first ODI itself, Rahul dropped Mehidy Hasan Miraz's catch. The miss cost India dearly as the Bangladesh all-rounder went on to lift his side to a memorable one-wicket win.

Do Team India have confidence that Rahul can improve his keeping to the extent that they can trust him with the gloves in a massive tournament like the ODI World Cup? And while it is too early to worry about, a few more failures and Rahul’s batting form would also be a matter of concern.

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Pant still in the fray

Can Rishabh Pant rediscover his form? Pic: Getty Images

Whether Pant has been dropped or released from the ODI squad in Bangladesh is unclear, although the official word is the latter. However, it is too early to write off Pant’s chances as a keeper-batter for the ODI World Cup in India next year. He has struggled in white-ball cricket, but his performances in the 50-over format have not been as bad as his T20I numbers.

If we look at his ODI career so far, he has played 30 matches and has scored 865 runs at an average of 34.60 and an excellent strike rate of 106.65. The stats hint that Pant enjoys batting more in ODIs as compared to T20Is.

During the tour of England earlier this year, he struck that magnificent 125* in Manchester. Since March 2021, he has scored 491 runs in 14 ODIs at an average of 44.63. Apart from the ton, he has also notched up two half-centuries. Numbers are still in Pant’s favor as far as ODIs are concerned.

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Sanju Samson: The dark horse for the keeper's role

Will wicketkeeper Sanju Samson get a chance to prove his credentials for the 2023 ODI World Cup. Pic: Getty Images

Sanju Samson doesn’t seem to enjoy the confidence of the current Team India management, despite having proved his credentials in the limited opportunities that he has been given. In 11 ODIs, Samson has scored 330 runs at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 104.76.

While the Kerala stumper’s average has been boosted by five not-outs, it cannot be denied that he has produced impressive numbers recently. In his last six one-day innings, he has registered scores of 43*, 15, 86*, 30*, two*, and 36.

It is a bit too early to conclude who should be Team India’s keeper-batter for the 2023 ODI World Cup. But the think tank and selectors will have to take the tough call pretty soon and, significantly, must make sure that they back their candidate.

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