The Indian team has tried five captains in 2022. The latest addition to the list is the wicket-keeper batsman, Rishabh Pant, who is leading the team in the ongoing five-match series against South Africa. After losing the first two games, the teams have done a decent job of bouncing back. But the skipper has struggled with his own batting form. The 24-year-old has led the team well, but speaking of his batting performance, that is below par.
Many ex-cricketers have even questioned his position for the upcoming T20I World Cup. Wasim Jaffer and Dale Steyn have even said that Dinesh Karthik could replace him in the playing XI. And now, former Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria has hit out at Rishabh Pant on his fitness and termed him as “slightly overweight and bulky.”
“Is Rishabh Pant fully fit?” – Danish Kaneria.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Kaneria said that he has noticed that while keeping against the pacers, Pant doesn’t get down properly, instead he keeps standing. The former spinner also pointed out that the wicket-keeper could not come up and move fast and he just stayed back and low. Kaneria added,
“He is slightly overweight and bulky. He can’t come up that quickly and doesn’t sit down properly. I think that shows a little concern over his fitness. Is Rishabh Pant fully fit? He will have to improve his batting style. There is KS Bharat available and I don’t see any wrong in bringing in Wriddhiman Saha. Just give a break to Rishabh Pant.”
Notably, the Indian stand-in skipper has just made 57 runs in the four matches against South Africa at 14.25. On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik is making a huge statement by performing in almost every match. This could surely put Pant under serious pressure for a spot in the T20I World Cup.