Indian captain Rohit Sharma was seen slamming Rishabh Pant for his poor shot selection in a viral video.
India lost to Pakistan on Sunday in the Super 4 fixture of Asia Cup, 2022. While batting first, team India put up a total of 181. Virat Kohli anchored the Indian innings with 60 runs from 44 deliveries. The Men in blues came in with all guns blazing in the powerplay but lost momentum as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and failed to build partnerships.
In response, Pakistan didn’t have a great start as they lost their skipper early in the powerplay. But the other opener, Rizwan took the game away from India’s grip. He built a partnership with Nawaz which proved to be match-winning. The game did go on to the last over but Pakistan managed to cross the finish line, therefore, winning the thrilling contest. Babar and co. took revenge for their defeat last Sunday.
Rohit Sharma comes down heavy on Rishabh Pant
Indian wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant was selected ahead of in-form Dinesh Karthik for this fixture. India were 3 down when Pant walked in and they desperately needed someone to stand with well-settled Kohli at the crease to build a partnership. The 24-year-old looked good initially but Shadab Khan outsmarted him with his googly.
Rishabh prematurely attempted a reverse sweep, failed to time it and the ball went straight into Asif Ali’s hands. Critics and fans were baffled by his shot selection which was unnecessary at that moment. In a viral video across social media, Rohit and Pant were seen having a heated conversation. The skipper was visibly seen unhappy with the wicketkeeper.
In the post-match presentation, Rohit said that in a high-pressure game like this, you need to be on your toes throughout and acknowledged Pakistan for their performance. He said,
“It’s a high-pressure game we know that. You’ve got to be at it every time. A game like that can take a lot. We got to learn a lot today – what sort of mindset we need to have when defending a score like that. Credit to Pakistan. They’ve played better than us.”
He further praised Virat for his form and said,
“Virat getting that score was crucial from the team’s point of view. Wickets of Hardik and Rishabh were not needed at that time. But we want to play with an open mindset. While taking that approach you’ll not always have success.”
Who fits the best in the XI?
Rohit Sharma in the opening game of the Asia Cup stated that they cannot fit both Pant and Karthik together in the XI. Going forward they have to make some tough choices. These type of performances is not going to help Pant as he faces tough competition from his peer Karthik who has been in form of his life since his return to the squad.
Pant has to show his true self for which he’s known to secure his place in the team. Coming back to the Indian team, India will face Srilanka and Afghanistan next and both will be must-win games to qualify for the final of Asia Cup, 2022.
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