Former Indian opener and commentator Aakash Chopra has asserted that the Indian team management has made up their mind on the keeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s future in the Indian white-ball sides.
Speaking exclusively on his Instagram handle, Chopra reckoned that it’s unfair for Pant not to get enough opportunities before being axed from the squad. Interestingly, the Indian ODI squad has Dhruv Jurel as KL Rahul’s back-up keeper for the forthcoming West Indies series at home.
“It looks like the management has already made up their mind on his white-ball future. You do feel that it’s not fair. He has played only one ODI in three years. He was part of the 2025 Champions Trophy squad but did not play. Yet, the team won while he was warming the bench. There was an opportunity for him to play against South Africa, but they played Ruturaj Gaikwad in the middle order instead,” Chopra said on his Instagram handle.
“Now he has been dropped altogether from the ODI squad. He has also been stripped of vice-captaincy in Tests. So he has clearly been demoted. It seems unfair to me because he has not been given enough opportunities in ODIs to make up your mind. One match in three years is not good enough. Why did you keep him in the scheme of things if you felt he wasn’t good enough?” he added.
Additionally, Chopra asserted that Pant has a chance to make his return to the Indian white-ball squads once the current selection committee and team management ends their tenure. Pant last played an ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August 2024.
“Is it the end? I’ll say no, for the simple reason that Ajit Agarkar is leaving, and with him, one or two others might also leave. With this change, there might be a change in mindset also. That way, you might see Pant back in the scheme of things. A very good IPL season, a new selection committee, and a new chairman could change things, and Pant could be back. But for that, he has to score runs in the IPL. It has been a long time since he has had a good IPL season,” he concluded.
