“He can change the game in even five overs,” says Ganguly on Pant playing ODIs

Ganguly on Pant playing ODIs: Former Indian captain had advocated for India’s Test wicket-keeper to be included in ODI squad.

The talks of including India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant into India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against Australia have increased manifold times after him scoring his second Test century in the ongoing Sydney Test.

Part of India’s ODI squad when they played their last ODI series against West Indies at home, Pant was dropped after he returned with inconsistent numbers in limited-overs format.

Wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik, whom Pant had replaced, has made his way back into the squad after solid performances against Australia in the T20I series. Despite coming in to bat at No. 6, Karthik had displayed sparks of taking the responsibility at the big stage.

Former India captain has weighed in on including Pant into the squad on the basis of his Test performance. Ganguly believes that the 21-year old southpaw is an ‘asset’ to the Indian team.

“In the first two Tests he threw his wicket away but today (Friday) he controlled himself and his batting never looked in trouble. He is an asset for India and his keeping will improve with time and he will play for India for the next 10-15 years. So, I just want the selectors to add one more player to the team and play him in the upcoming series against Australia and New Zealand,” Ganguly was quoted as saying on India TV.

Ganguly went on to say that the selectors should play Pant in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 for he could be a match-winner for India. “He is an outstanding player and all I would like to tell the selectors is that he should play all the formats because he could be a match-winner for India in the World Cup,” Ganguly said.

“He can play at Number 4 because he has an uncomplicated batting style. He plays the fast bowlers with ease and hits them for boundaries,” Ganguly further said about Pant’s batting order.

While middle-order batsman Ambati Rayudu has all but cemented his place at No. 4, making a change at this point in time involves risk and will once again call for uncertainty in the middle-order. Ganguly was adamant about playing Pant at No. 4 for he believed that he can change the game in even ‘five’ overs.

“You need players who can change the game for you. Rohit [Sharma], [Shikhar] Dhawan and [Virat] Kohli will change the game and after these three, Pant could be the player, who can change the game for you, none have the calibre otherwise. Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav and even Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play in their own ways but this guy can change the game in even five overs. So, you need to take care of him,” Ganguly concluded.

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