Rahul set to don the gloves, while Pant remains on standby for marquee tournament
Ahmedabad (Gujarat), February 13:
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has officially confirmed KL Rahul as the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper over Rishabh Pant for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, set to begin on February 19 in Dubai.
Rahul and Pant both toured Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Pant keeping wickets throughout the series, while Rahul played as a specialist batter. However, after India failed to retain the BGT title for the first time in a decade, the team management made a key change for the recent ODI series against England, opting for Rahul behind the stumps while Pant remained on the bench.
Speculations were rife that Pant could return for the third ODI, but the team persisted with Rahul, who delivered a solid 40 off 29 balls, helping India seal a dominant 142-run win and complete a 3-0 series sweep over England.
With the Champions Trophy making a comeback after more than seven years, Gambhir has backed Rahul as India’s No.1 wicketkeeper.
“KL is our first-choice wicketkeeper” – Gambhir
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gambhir reaffirmed the management’s trust in Rahul’s ability behind the stumps and with the bat.
“See, ultimately, it’s very difficult to talk about individuals, but all I can say is that if he’s part of the squad, if the time comes, he might get an opportunity. But at the moment, obviously, KL is the number one wicketkeeper, and he’s delivered for us,” Gambhir said.
While Rahul is set to start in the marquee tournament, Gambhir emphasized that Pant must remain ready for any opportunity.
“See, when you’ve got two wicketkeepers in the squad, you can’t play both the wicketkeepers with the kind of quality we’ve got. Hopefully, whenever he gets that opportunity, he should be ready for it. That’s all I can say. At the moment, yes, KL is the one who’s going to start,” he added.
India Gears Up for Champions Trophy
With their comprehensive 3-0 series victory over England, India now turns its focus to fine-tuning preparations for the Champions Trophy, where they will kick off their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.