As the Champions Trophy 2025 is looming around, the teams have started to play more ODIs and prepare for the tournament. India are preparing for the tournament through the three-match ODI series against England.
One of the biggest dilemmas for India before the start was to pick one out of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper’s slot. It is a tough choice given both of them are hugely talented and offer a different variety of skills.
Former India allrounder Sanjay Bangar has picked KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant for the ODI series against England. Bangar feels that Rahul should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper given his recent ODI form.
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Sanjay Bangar picks KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant
While speaking to Star Sports during a discussion on India’s ODI squad for the England series, Sanjay Bangar spoke about KL Rahul’s exceptional numbers in the format, especially during the ODI World Cup 2023. Bangar claimed that Rahul has not only scored runs but has also done well as a keeper.
“If you cast your mind back to the way KL Rahul has performed not only as a batsman but also as a wicketkeeper. Some of the catches and the way he kept in the (2023 ODI) World Cup was simply fabulous,” Bangar observed.
Bangar called Rishabh Pant a great talent but still feels that Rahul should start in the line-up as he performed well for the team in the middle order and also took some great catches as a wicketkeeper.
“Rishabh Pant, no doubt, is a very, very exciting talent. But currently, I believe that the team would start with KL in the line-up based on the performances that he’s given in the middle overs as well as his exploits as a wicketkeeper,” he added.
In the first ODI played at Nagpur, India picked Rahul over Pant. Rahul took a brilliant catch behind the stumps to dismiss Harry Brook in the first innings
KL Rahul in ODI World Cup 2023
KL Rahul was one of the top performers for India in the ODI World Cup 2023 having scored 452 runs in 11 matches at an average of 75.33 and a strike rate of 90.76. He smashed 1 hundred and 2 fifties during the course of the tournament and was among the top ten run-getters.
He was also exceptional with the gloves and took some brilliant catches behind the stumps. The right-hander showcased his versatile abilities to take on the spinners in the middle overs and can also be aggressive in the death overs.
KL Rahul vs Rishabh Pant in ODIs
In comparison, KL Rahul is ahead of Rishabh Pant in the ODI format so far. Rahul has scored 2851 runs in 77 ODIs at an average of 49.15 and a strike rate of 87.56 with 7 hundreds and 18 fifties. His run-scoring consistency was key to India’s success in the World Cup 2023.
On the other hand, Rishabh Pant has a great Test record but is still finding his feet in white-ball cricket. Pant has scored 871 runs in 31 ODIs an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of 106.21.
However, Pant is a left-hander which can be key in India’s team selection. He has the ability to win games on his day but might not be as consistent as Rahul. In the training session prior to the ODI series, Rahul was seen focusing on his keeping skills while Pant focused on his big-hitting skills.
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