IND vs WI LIVE: Ajit Agarkar wants Rishabh Pant to open for India Former India cricketer Ajit Agarkar feels Rishabh Pant should open for Team India in absence of Shikhar Dhawan. He feels that India should give an opportunity to explosive batter like Rishabh Pant but did not rule out Ishan Kishan. Follow India vs West Indies LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
IND vs WI LIVE: Ajit Agarkar wants Rishabh Pant to open for India in 1st ODI- check why?
“You have got a couple of explosive players, someone like an Ishan Kishan or even someone like a Rishabh Pant, who knows whether it’s worth giving him a go at the top of the order,” he said ahead of the 1st ODI in Ahmedabad while speaking to Star Sports.
The first ODI is scheduled to be played on February 6 behind closed doors. Shikhar Dhawan is set to miss the opener after testing positive for COVID-19. India have the likes of Mayank Agarwal & Ishan Kishan besides Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan in the mix. KL Rahul will also miss the opening contest to attend his sister’s wedding.
Ajit Agarkar further stressed that KL Rahul should move back to the middle. He enjoys a very good record in the middle-order at No.4 & 5.
“I think that’s the first thing they need to decide, whether he is an opener or a middle-order batter because he captained in South Africa and he opened, which to me, it was a little bit disappointing because he had been successful at the No. 4 or 5 position, that’s the role they were looking at,” he added.
“If that is not going to be the case, then again you have got to stick to what you decide. If he is going to be the opener, then you may as well open with him and Rohit in this series,” he stressed.
He also questioned Shikhar Dhawan’s future if India wants to play KL Rahul as first-choice opener with Rohit Sharma.
“That will be interesting to see because Shikhar Dhawan is there as well. I am not sure in another year or year-and-a-half’s time where Shikhar Dhawan would be even though he has got runs in South Africa,” he concluded.
KL Rahul had failed badly while Dhawan had made a strong comeback in South Africa series.
Shikhar Dhawan, 36, as opener in ODIs
| Position | Inns | NO | 100s | 50s | 0s | HS | Runs | Avg | S/R | Ca | St |
| Opening | 145 | 8 | 17 | 35 | 5 | 143 | 6274 | 45.80 | 93.59 | 70 | 0 |
KL Rahul, 29, as opener in ODIs
| Position | Inns | NO | 100s | 50s | 0s | HS | Runs | Avg | S/R | Ca | St |
| Opening | 21 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 111 | 884 | 46.53 | 80.58 | 9 | 0 |
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 108 | 160 | 40.00 | 80.00 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 112 | 453 | 56.63 | 113.82 | 11 | 2 |
IND vs WI LIVE: Ajit Agarkar wants Rishabh Pant to open for India in 1st ODI- check why?
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