Indian skipper Virat Kohli has stood by wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant ahead of the series against West Indies tomorrow. Addressing the press before the series, he backed Pant to perform better in the upcoming limited-overs leg.
“We certainly believe in Rishabh”s ability. But I think it”s a collective responsibility of everyone around as well to give that player some space to do well. If he misses a chance, people can”t shout MS” (Dhoni) name in the stadium as well. It”s not respectful because no player would like that to happen. You are playing in your own country and you should get support rather than always thinking about what mistake this guy is gonna make. No one wants to be in that position,” said Kohli.
It is to be noted that Pant has been always under the radar of the critics since the absence of MS Dhoni. He was mainly taken a dig for his skills behind the wicket and throwing away wickets in times of need.
Kohli said that Pant will be back to is best, the way he has been doing in the IPL. A few weeks ago, Rohit Sharma asked the media to stay away from Pant to help him focus the game with ease. Today, Kohli too did the same.
“As Rohit (Sharma) pointed out this as well, he needs to be left alone. He is a match-winner and once he comes good we will see a different version of him which we have seen in the IPL where is he free, relaxed and he feels there is a lot more respect coming for his abilities and what he can achieve in the team. He needs to feel that more around him and he can”t be isolated to an extent that he gets nervous on the field. All of us need to make him feel like he belongs and we are all for him rather than against “, said Kohli who is looking forward to the golden run of Pant.
The T20I series
India is all set to play three-match T20I series against West Indies starting tomorrow. The first game will be played at Hyderabad. An intense battle is expected on the cards as the opposition is always known for their hitting capabilities in T20I”s.
Pant”s form can also add value to the side which is on its preparatory phase for T20 WC.
Will we see Rishabh 2.0 in this series tomorrow? We will have to see.