T20 World Cup 2022: “Justice for Pant” – Fans react as Rishabh Pant fails to find a place in India playing XI vs Bangladesh

Rohit Sharma and Co. left Rishabh Pant out once again in their fourth match of the T20 World Cup against Bangladesh in Adelaide on Wednesday (November 2).

The team management chose to go ahead with senior wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as he was declared fit after recovering from a back spasm that he suffered against South Africa last Sunday.

Interestingly, Karthik has so far failed to deliver for India against Pakistan and South Africa. Last Sunday, he was also forced to leave the field during the 16th over of the Proteas' innings. Pant, who replaced him behind the stumps in the final five overs, was the favorite to replace the veteran cricketer against Shakib Al Hasan and Co. in the crucial group stage game for the Men in Blue.

Fans on Twitter were disappointed with his absence and expressed their anger on the microblogging site. Here are some of the reactions:

The southpaw last played for India in practice matches against Western Australia. In his two appearances, he failed to deliver and scored nine runs in each game.

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“I think Rishabh Pant must play” – Madan Lal slams Indian team management

Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal labeled Rishabh Pant a match-winner and mentioned that he must play for India in the T20 World Cup.

Speaking to Sports Tak, he said:

“8:42 - Whether DK is available or not, I think Rishabh Pant must play. You have seen how he batted. If you want to play Pant, encourage him instead of tossing such a big batter up and down in the batting order. You have also seen his big innings and know how big a match-winner he is for India.”

Meanwhile, Axar Patel has replaced Deepak Hooda in the playing XI vs Bangladesh after the latter failed to make an impact against the Proteas.

Rohit Sharma and Co. must win against Bangladesh to stay in the fray for the semifinal spot at the T20 World Cup 2022.

The Men in Blue will also be wary of a rain threat during the match. According to the Australian Government’s Bureau of Meteorology, there is a 30 percent chance of rain in Adelaide on Wednesday. The temperature is expected to hover around 10 to 18 degrees Celsius.

If it rains, the two teams will have to settle for one point each, which could affect the Men in Blue in the tournament, as Pakistan will have a chance to go for the knockout stage.

India Playing XI vs Bangladesh: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik(w), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.