IND vs ENG LIVE: Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik - Shastri, De Villiers, Harbhajan give their VERDICT for semi-finals vs England, Check OUT

IND vs ENG LIVE: ICC T20 World Cup 2022: With the T20 World Cup semi-finals approaching on Thursday, the selection dilemma between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik continues. However, former cricketing icons have joined the debate. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, ex-South Africa captain AB de Villiers, Ian Chappell besides Harbhajan Singh have made their choices clear ahead of the all-important semi-finals vs England. Follow India vs England & T20 WC Semifinals LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN

The situation has come to this because of Dinesh Karthik’s dry spell. Despite a brilliant start on return to India team, Mr Finisher has looked ordinary on good and two-paced surfaces. While he is set to be transitioned after the T20 WC, there is a question mark on his place for the big semifinal against England.

IND vs ENG LIVE: Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik – who will be in India Playing XI vs England? Ravi Shastri, AB de Villiers give their VERDICT, Check OUT

Also Read: India Playing XI vs England: Rishabh Pant to keep place but Axar Patel likely to dropped for Chahal: Follow IND ENG Semifinal LIVE

Dinesh Karthik has scored just 14 runs in 3 innings. His competitor Rishabh Pant has just played one game — against Zimbabwe — and managed only 3. As Rohit Sharma & Rahul Dravid have to make the big call, let’s take a look at what former cricketers are saying.

Ravi Shastri: Rishabh Pant

“Dinesh is a lovely team player. But when it comes to a game against England or New Zealand, just seeing their attack, I think you need a robust left-hander. He can turn it on and is a match-winner,” Shastri told Star Sports.

“He has done well against England. He recently won a match on his win against England, a one-day game. I would go with Pant, not just because he played here, but because of the X-factor angle, he can bring to the semi-final.”

“You are playing in Adelaide, short boundaries square, another reason why a left-hander should be there to disrupt the England attack. If you have too many right-handers, there is a sense of sameness to it. England have a nice attack, a varied attack of left-handers and right-handers.”

IND vs ENG LIVE: Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik – who will be in India Playing XI vs England? Ravi Shastri, AB de Villiers give their VERDICT, Check OUT

AB de Villiers: Dinesh Karthik

“Difficult one. For me, absolutely no doubt, DK should be there. Knock-out stages, he’s experienced, I would want him. But, here’s the curveball, I would want Pant in the team as well. I would find another spot for him. I don’t know who makes way for him,” de Villiers said on his official YouTube channel.

“Pant has got Test hundreds in Australia before, he’s got the experience and the confidence to take the game away. He can face fast bowling and spin. He’s versatile, I will make room for both of these guys. You need DK’s experience and you need Pant’s match-winning abilities. That’s my five cents,” said de Villiers.

Ian Chappell: Rishabh Pant

“Sometimes, selectors pick players on domestic form, and I think India is a classic example. They are picking Dinesh Karthik ahead of Rishabh Pant… ridiculous! I mean, Rishabh Pant should be playing every game. So, that’s the tendency,” Chappell said on Sydney Morning Herald.

There are a lot of arguments in favour of Pant playing in place of DK vs England. But a couple of things to note: 1. If Pant plays, Hardik likely to bat at 6. That reduces his batting impact considerably.
2. Pant has hardly played in this tournament. Form?
1/n

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 9, 2022

Harbhajan Singh: Dinesh Karthik

When Karthik was injured, I said that we should bring back Pant. But if he’s fit, Karthik should play because you selected him as a finisher. You can’t play Pant in that role. He has worked hard, he has scored runs. You can’t say he has flopped after three chances. Everyone should have equal opportunities, if top-order players are getting the backing, lower-order players should also receive that.”

Aakash Chopra: Dinesh Karthik

There are a lot of arguments in favour of Pant playing in place of DK vs England. But a couple of things to note: 1. If Pant plays, Hardik is likely to bat at 6. That reduces his batting impact considerably. 2. Pant has hardly played in this tournament.

If taking down leg-spin was the reason, he should’ve played against Pakistan. To counter Shadab and even Nawaz. DK hasn’t done a great deal but the only real chance for him of making an impact was vs SA at Perth. How many (except SKY) scored there?

Don’t judge a fish for his ability to climb a tree. Or else you’d be disappointed and also, call the Fish a ‘failure’. IMHO, India had to take a call on Pant v DK two months ago. Asia Cup was where you should’ve known who’s the first choice. And then stick with him.

Tom Moody: Rishabh Pant

I don’t buy the game time logic. I think game time belongs to the player who they see playing in the semi-final of the tournament. If Pant goes out there and does what he is capable of and gets 50 off 30 balls, what would India have done now?

Robin Uthappa:

I think in Adelaide where the square boundaries are as small as they can be in Australia and with Adil Rashid there, I think Rishabh Pant would be the best option to take him down.