"Only Rishabh Pant can play that sort of knock" - Saba Karim says India need the wicketkeeper-batter in middle order

Saba Karim feels only Rishabh Pant can play knocks like the one he played in the final ODI against England earlier this year and that India need him in the middle order.

Pant smashed an unbeaten 125 off 113 balls in Manchester in July this year. His knock and his 133-run fifth-wicket partnership with Hardik Pandya (71 off 55) helped the Men in Blue chase down a 260-run target in the series-deciding game after they had been reduced to 72/4 at one stage.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Karim was asked about how times have changed since Pant's ODI century in England, to which he responded:

"Only Rishabh Pant can play that sort of knock, considering the situation. I felt England would win that match easily but after that, Rishabh Pant has played only two or three innings in ODI cricket."

The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter feels Pant's underwhelming T20I performances should not impact his selection in 50-over cricket. He explained:

"We get extremely confused between formats at times and we take harsh decisions very quickly, which are not in favor of the team or a player. I have the belief that we still need Rishabh Pant in the middle order."

Pant has aggregated 25 runs in his two ODI innings since that match-winning knock against England. He was originally selected in the Indian squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh but was subsequently released in consultation with the BCCI's medical team.

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"Such players will only win us the World Cup" - Saba Karim on impactful players like Rishabh Pant

Ishan Kishan scored a belligerent double-century in the third ODI against Bangladesh. [P/C: BCCI/Twitter]

Karim believes India will need enterprising players like Pant and Ishan Kishan in their quest to win the World Cup. He observed:

"He can play such knocks if the team management and selectors support him and guide him properly. Such players will only win us the World Cup going forward, whether it is Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson or Shubman Gill. They are our country's future."

The former Indian selector concluded by demanding consistency in selection, elaborating:

"If we treat them properly, we will get to see more such moments. We need to select attentively many times. It is also necessary that we have uniformity.

"We need to give a long time, whether it is to the coach or the captain, both can only think about the future together and make the vision which is in favor of the team."

India might find it difficult to accommodate Pant in the middle order in ODI cricket at the moment. With the team management also looking to play KL Rahul at No. 5, the return of the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya into the mix will further increase the competition for the few available spots.