The Indian team convincingly defeated England 3-0 in the three-match ODI series, making a strong statement ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy. This series has also given a clearer picture of India’s probable playing XI. KL Rahul was chosen as the wicketkeeper-batsman in all three matches, while Rishabh Pant remained on the bench. This suggests that Rahul is likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper for the upcoming tournament.
After the final match on Thursday, head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked about his preferred wicketkeeper between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for the Champions Trophy. He made it clear that Rahul is the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper, and the management is not considering Pant for the playing XI at the moment.
Pant Remains on the Bench
Among the players selected for the ODI series against England, Rishabh Pant was the only one who did not get a chance to play. KL Rahul batted at No. 6 in the first two matches but did not look entirely comfortable. However, in the third match, he was promoted to his preferred No. 5 position and contributed a crucial 40 runs off 29 balls. India won the match by 142 runs.
After the match, Gambhir said, “Rahul is our No. 1 wicketkeeper right now, and that is all I can say at the moment. Rishabh Pant will get his opportunities, but currently, Rahul is performing well, and we cannot play with two wicketkeeper-batsmen.”
Gambhir Justifies Axar Patel’s Batting Order
Gambhir also defended his decision to send Axar Patel ahead of Rahul in the first two matches. He emphasized that the team’s interest is more important than individual statistics. “We don’t focus on averages and numbers. We see who can perform best in a given situation,” he explained.
‘Including Varun Instead of Jaiswal Was the Right Call’
The head coach also justified the decision to exclude young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal from the Champions Trophy squad in favor of spinner Varun Chakravarthy. He stated, “The only reason behind this decision was that we needed a wicket-taking bowler, and we all know that Varun Chakravarthy can be that option. Jaiswal has a long career ahead, but we can only select 15 players for the tournament.”