IND vs SL ODIs: Pant or Rahul - which wicketkeeper batter will be picked? Rohit Sharma dubs it as 'tough call'

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 1, 2024, 6:27 PM IST

Skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday acknowledged the difficulty in choosing India's wicketkeeper-batter for ODIs between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, emphasizing that both players are "match-winners" in their own right.

Pant returned to the Indian team during the T20 World Cup in the Americas, while Rahul is set to play his first one-day match since January in the opening game against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.

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"It's a tough call (wicketkeeper-batter between Rahul and Pant) to make. Both are quality players, and you know the abilities of both the players. They are match-winners in their own way. They have won a lot of games for us in the past," Rohit said during his pre-match press meet.

"It is not easy to pick a team or a player when you have quality like that. It is always nice to have problems like that while picking up the teams, so you know that there is quality in the squad. I look forward to these kind of problems till I am the captain," he added smilingly.

Rohit Sharma emphasized that whichever player is eventually selected, the key for them is to express themselves freely. The 37-year-old added that the management has already fostered a relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room, allowing players to play their game without any apprehensions.

"The most important thing is to allow the freedom to players, so that they will be able to do that and it is our job to ensure that we create that environment. Yes, we have already created that environment for players to come here and play freely. So, that they do not (need to) think too much about their own performance, result etc. If you are playing the game the team wants you to play, then we are more than happy," he added.

Rohit Sharma praised Suryakumar Yadav, his successor as India's T20I captain, for performing admirably in his first full series.

"It's early days (in his captaincy); I don't want to talk too much about it. He has done a great job, and let him continue doing it. We start jumping into things (judgement) quite quickly, regardless of wins or losses. Let him do things consistently, and then we can talk about it," he said.

Under Suryakumar Yadav's leadership, India achieved a 3-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the recent T20I series, which Rohit Sharma described as a promising start.

"It's definitely a good start for them in that format. They played well as a unit, which is what Team India is all about. I'm sure they are heading in the right direction," he said.

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