“When it comes to becoming a match-winner, he’s nothing near Pant,” Nikhil Chopra said of Team India’s batter.
Former cricketer Nikhil Chopra has dismissed suggestions that Shreyas Iyer could replace Rishabh Pant as Team India’s No.4 in T20Is.
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Former cricketer Nikhil Chopra has dismissed suggestions that Shreyas Iyer could replace Rishabh Pant as Team India’s No.4 in T20Is. When it comes to match-winning abilities, he believes Iyer is no match for Pant. The dispute over India’s No. 4 ranking in white-ball cricket has raged on for years. Pant began the batting against the West Indies in the first T20I and was bowled for eight runs. Despite his outstanding performance in the One-Day Internationals, Iyer did not make the playing XI.
Chopra was questioned if India may attempt Iyer at No.4 by resting Pant and allowing Ishan Kishan to maintain wickets during an interview on the Khelneeti podcast. The 48-year-old went on to say of the wicketkeeper- batter’s abilities: “As we all knew; Pant can be incredibly explosive on his bad days. And, no offence to Shreyas Iyer, when it comes to being a match-winner on any given day, he is nothing near Pant. Pant will be the more hazardous of the two even on a normal day.” Pant, 24, has scored 11, 18, 56, and 8 in the current white-ball series against the West Indies. Some detractors have questioned his consistency and shot selection.