Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra reckons the selectors are not looking at Rishabh Pant as far as his ODI selection is concerned. Pant was not named in India’s ODI squad for the series against the West Indies, with selectors preferring KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel as wicket-keepers.
Pant, meanwhile, has been named as the captain of the Rest of India for the Irani Cup. The left-hander played his last ODI match against Sri Lanka in 2024.
Pant has scored 871 runs in 31 ODI matches at an average of 33.5 and a strike rate of 106.22.
“Rishabh Pant could have been in the ODI team because Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are not available, but Dhruv Jurel has been preferred. He has pipped him to the post. It almost seems like the selectors have said that we’re not looking at you for ODIs. He has been out for the last couple of series. There is no issue of form with him because he scored runs in Sri Lanka,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Dhruv Jurel’s name is another big development, because he was only part of the Test team till now. It seemed like his name will come up for the other teams one day, and that day has come. He is a part of the ODI team as well now,” Aakash Chopra added.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi Dar received his maiden ODI call-up for the West Indies ODIs. Chopra said Dar’s selection is an interesting development.
“Auqib Nabi in ODI cricket, now that is an interesting development because you are not playing him. You kept him in the Test team and did not play him, but now you have included him in the ODI team. Prima facie makes you think that he is not an ODI bowler, but he is in the team, who knows, he might even get a chance to play. This is a young-looking fast bowling attack,” Aakash Chopra opined.
India’s ODI squad vs West Indies: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul [VC], Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.
