Wicketkeepers usually fight for a spot with another keeper. That might not happen with Rishabh Pant. The talented southpaw has been kept out of the India cricket team because of KL Rahul, who isn’t a regular gloveman but a batter who can keep wickets. But, according to Sanjay Manjrekar, there is another player, because of whom Pant can’t make Team India’s XI in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Axar Patel, the batter
Manjrekar thinks Axar Patel’s performance in the India vs. England 1st ODI has closed the door for Pant. Apart from superb bowling, the all-rounder has also shown that he can be a proper batter with the bat. It’s not the first time Axar has shined with the bat either; you can’t forget his contribution with the willow in the T20 World Cup Final against South Africa in Barbados.
“Before the match started, there was a suggestion from me that maybe Rishabh Pant could be tried only with the Champions Trophy in mind. Plus, India would have a left-hander in the top six or seven. Axar Patel is a great option to have because this is a guy; we have seen him bat in Test matches for India, and he has a batter’s temperament,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.
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‘Lefty’ Axar Patel’s spin-hitting ability
The former Indian cricketer thinks Axar can do the role of the spin basher in the middle and also help keep Team India the right-left combination, something that head coach Gautam Gambhir seems to be quite fixated on in T20Is and ODIs. That’s why Manjrekar feels Pant’s chances of playing in the ICC Champions Trophy are really bleak.
“Boy, he looked good against spinners. India have had a problem in the middle overs where they have struggled to find batters who are competent against spin. Because this Champions Trophy is going to be played in our part of the world, there’s going to be a lot of spin impact on the games,” he added.
“Axar Patel is a terrific option to have in the middle, thereby perhaps delaying Rishabh Pant’s chances of coming back in. Now, they have found a left-hander that they can bat in the middle,” Manjrekar concluded.
India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh
