Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra believes Rishabh Pant doesn’t seem to be in the selectors’ plans for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Pant is currently recovering from a toe injury, which he suffered in the fourth Test match against England at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Chopra highlighted that Pant has gone down in the pecking order for T20Is despite being India’s third-highest run-getter in the T20I World Cup 2024. Pant had scored 171 runs in eight matches of the T20I showpiece at an average of 24.23 and a strike rate of 127.61.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “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.
On the other hand, the renowned commentator said Ishan Kishan should also not be forgotten for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Kishan scored 354 runs in 14 matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 35.40 and a strike rate of 152.58.
“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.
“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.
India will be next in action in the upcoming Asia Cup.
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