'He must have been dropped from white-ball cricket' - Gautam Gambhir wants Rishabh Pant to focus on red-ball cricket

After an embarrassing 1-2 ODI series defeat against Bangladesh, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka on December 27 with some big changes.

In a bold decision from the management, the star wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant is missing the entire series. And this came as no surprise for the former cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who believes that the player must have been dropped after performing poorly despite being given so many opportunities.

"First of all, the selectors need to be very clear if he's been rested or dropped. According to me, he must have been dropped from white-ball cricket. There has never been enough clarity. This word called 'rest' is great to have; it wasn't there when we were playing. Either we were dropped or selected," Gambhir told ESPNCricinfo on Thursday (December 29).

Rishabh Pant should just focus on red-ball cricket: Gautam Gambhir

The BCCI and selection committee haven't provided any reason for Pant's absence from both T20I and ODI squad for Sri Lanka. But it has been reported that the management is looking to keep him fresh and ready for the home Test series against Australia scheduled from February 9. Rishabh's omission from white-ball teams came as no surprise for the fans after a string of poor performances in the recent games.

Pant was part of both T20I and ODI squads against New Zealand last month where he managed to score only 42 runs from combined four innings. In the recent T20 World Cup 2022, he scored only nine runs from two innings, including six runs in a crucial semi-final clash against England.

But the 25-year-old big-hitter has been India's best batter in Tests in 2022 with the highest 680 runs from 12 innings at an average of 61.81, including 148 runs from three innings against Bangladesh in the latest series. Gambhir pointed out Pant's impact in Tests and tipped the youngster to focus on red-ball cricket till he gets an opportunity to make a comeback in white-ball.

"Rishabh had got his opportunities in white-ball cricket and hasn't been able to grab it, and someone else like Ishan Kishan has been able to grab it. So probably now he should just focus on red-ball cricket, and if his turn comes, whenever he gets that opportunity, try and grab it," Gambhir added.