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Pacer Arshdeep Singh, keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar have not yet got a match.
Will Arshdeep Singh-Rishabh Pant Get A Go Against New Zealand? KL Rahul Answers (Picture credit: AP)
India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has said that he is not a part of the leadership group that makes the decisions within the Indian team, but there will be a desire to make Arshdeep Singh and Rishabh Pant play against New Zealand.
Arshdeep, Pant and spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar haven’t yet got a match.
Since India are already in the semifinals, will the team management be tempted to try out these four players, Rahul was asked.
“I’m not in the leadership group to have to make that decision. But I’m sure there will be some temptation. I’ve been in these positions before where there’s an opportunity where you can try out the players who have important games and do get a game,” Rahul said while speaking to the media on Friday.
“We only have one day’s break before the semifinals. And we’ve got a six-day break now. So we probably want all of the players to play the game and get a little bit of time in the middle,” Rahul added.
Arshdeep can replace Harshit Rana, although he is a left-arm pacer, unlike the latter. Pant is a like-for-like replacement for Rahul. Chakravarthy can replace Kuldeep Yadav, while Sundar can replace Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel.
Rahul said that a team like New Zealand can never be taken lightly. They beat India in the three-Test series and had defeated them in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
“It’s my first Champions Trophy, and what I’ve realised is things happen quickly. It’s not like the World Cup, where even if you don’t start well, there’s an opportunity for you to come back,” Rahul said.
“No game is easy, and no team can be taken lightly. So, yeah, that’s how we’ve looked at things in New Zealand. They’ve always been a very formidable team and a very competitive team,” Rahul added.
The India wicketkeeper has scored 271 runs in six ODI innings against New Zealand at an impressive average of 67.75. Compared to that, Pant has scored just 57 runs in three ODI innings against the Kiwis, at a dismal average of 19.
Keeping that a loss will mean a second-place finish in Group A, India might keep Pant benched for this tie as well.
For more in-depth coverage of the Champions Trophy, check out the latest Points Table to see where your favorite team stands. Stay updated on the tournament’s top performers with the Most Runs and Most Wickets leaderboards. Keep following for all the latest updates!
