"He was India's third-highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup we won" - Aakash Chopra on IPL captain as potential wicketkeeper for 2026 T20 World Cup

Former India player Aakash Chopra has wondered why Rishabh Pant doesn't seem to be in contention for a wicketkeeper-batter's position in the Men in Blue's 2026 T20 World Cup squad. He pointed out that the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper was India's third-highest run-scorer in their victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign.

The selectors have picked Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma as the two wicketkeeper-batters in India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup starting in the UAE on September 9. Although Pant wasn't available due to a fracture sustained in his foot during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, mentioned in the press conference that no player missed out because of injury.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener reflected on the wicketkeeper-batter options for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with a middle-order player potentially being required. As for Pant, he said (7:55):

"When Rishabh Pant bats at Nos. 1 to 3, he has scored his runs at a strike rate of 156 and has an average of 34, which is good. However, we will not talk about the top three. When you look at Nos. 4 to 7, he has a strike rate of 140 and an average of 30. It's still okay."

"The one thing that goes in his favor, and I am very surprised that no one talks about it, is that he was India's third-highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup we won. It seems like a fly has been taken out of milk and thrown away. No one is talking about him. Of course, the IPL not being that good might be one of the reasons, but not even coming into the conversation is a strange one," Chopra added.

Aakash Chopra opined that Rishabh Pant should at least be in the think tank's thought process, highlighting that 15 T20Is would still be left after the Asia Cup. While acknowledging that the Indian Test vice-captain hasn't realized his potential in white-ball cricket, he pointed out that the chosen keeper needs to be a finisher who can strike the ball hard.

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"Sometimes we forget names" - Aakash Chopra on Ishan Kishan as India's potential wicketkeeper for 2026 T20 World Cup

Ishan Kishan (left) hasn't played a T20I since November 2023. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Ishan Kishan can't be forgotten either, especially considering his top-order numbers.

"Ishan Kishan, a very good top-order batter. I am taking Ishan Kishan's name because it should be taken. Sometimes we forget names. At Nos. 1 to 3, he has a strike rate of 135 and an average of 30. Ishan Kishan hasn't played a lot from Nos. 4 to 7 because he is more of a guy who uses the pace of the ball well," he said (9:20).

However, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) wicketkeeper-batter isn't suited to bat in the middle order.

"He is a top-order smasher, a blaster. However, down the order, when the ball gets old and the field opens up, he has an average of 25 and a strike rate of 129 in 40 innings. The finisher's role doesn't suit him. Unfortunately, that's the story," Chopra observed.

Ishan Kishan has aggregated 796 runs at a strike rate of 124.37 in 32 T20I innings. However, he has batted only once below No. 3, scoring an unbeaten 20 off 14 deliveries against Sri Lanka in July 2021.