The team needs to encourage 'match-winner' Rishabh Pant, says Kris Srikkanth

The Indian cricket team has played its last ODI against Australia prior to the commencement of the World Cup in March. Even with the IPL now entering its second week and grabbing eyeballs, a conundrum in the Indian team that remains continues to attract much debate and opinions.

It is of course, regarding the pivotal No.4 spot, and former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has weighed in on who he thinks should be the solution to this puzzle. With an affinity to play the big shots and up the ante, Rishabh Pant could be that game-changer, according to Kris. However, he would not be giving the young gun the keeper’s gloves.

“Most players pick themselves. If you ask me, I would want a few match-winners. The only slot that is slightly confusing is the No.4 slot. If I was the captain or the chairman of selectors, I’d go for a match-winner. A guy who can win matches from no-win situations,” said Srikkanth at the launch of a promotional campaign for Britannia. We need such a cricketer. We can’t have always safe cricketers”, he added.

“While Dhoni will be the wicketkeeper, I still believe that Rishabh Pant is a good cricketer. He’s the guy who almost won a Test match for you in England from an amazing no-win situation. You need to encourage him and say, ‘You play your game’. Give him that confidence,” said Kris as quoted by Sportstar.

Rishabh Pant can win matches single-handedly, opines Srikkanth

A flamboyant opener in his days, Srikkanth definitely did not earn fame by being a “safe cricketer”. He said that Pant could be playing in a role similar to his back in the day. “In my days, Kapil Dev said, ‘Cheeka, no rules for you, do whatever you want’. Like that, you give Rishabh Pant that freedom to play, he’s capable of winning three matches for you single-handedly. That’s my opinion”, quipped Srikkanth.

Srikkanth also opined on the round-robin format of this year’s World Cup, revisited for the first time since 1992.

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