Why is Rishabh Pant not playing today’s 1st T20I between India and Australia in Mohali?

Why is Rishabh Pant not playing: India have preferred to play Dinesh Karthik over Rishabh Pant in the 1st T20I against Australia.

India and Australia are up against each other in the 1st match of the 3-match T20I series at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first, where Finch said that the dew factor can play a part in this match.

“We’re going to have a bowl first. It is about building up to the World Cup, and about getting some information about our boys,” Finch said at the toss.

Rohit Sharma informed at the toss that the team is going through some injuries, and players like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Deepak Chahar are not playing the match.

Why is Rishabh Pant not playing

Rohit Sharma updated at the toss that Rishabh Pant is not a part of the playing eleven. India opted with Dinesh Karthik as the finisher of the side. The toss-up between both keepers are there in the Asia Cup as well, and India kept switching them in the tournament.

Pant failed to impress in the Asia Cup, and the way Karthik has finished matches in the recent past gives him a nod over the young Pant. The addition of Axar Patel has given India a left-handed option as well with the bat.

It is interesting that India went with Umesh Yadav over Deepak Chahar in the playing eleven. Chahar did not play in the IPL due to an injury, and he made his comeback in the ODI series against Zimbabwe. Chahar was one of the standbys in India’s Asia Cup squad, and he was later added in the main squad as Avesh Khan’s replacement.

Umesh Yadav got rewarded for his brilliant bowling in the IPL 2022 for Kolkata Knight Riders. He scalped 16 wickets for KKR at an economy of 7.06. There is no particular reason for the omission of Chahar, but having both him and Bhuvneshwar are similar kinds of bowlers and having Umesh will give the team a different tool.