SL vs IND 2024: “It’s difficult to choose between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant” – Rohit Sharma on Team India’s wicket-keeper selection

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that it will be difficult to choose between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for the wicket-keeper spot in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting Friday in Colombo. While Rahul has performed consistently in Pant’s absence, the latter has also grabbed his chances in T20s since his return from a horrific car accident.

Pant last played an ODI match against New Zealand at the fag end of 2022. On the other hand, KL Rahul has sealed his place at number five in ODIs with consistent performances. Rahul scored 452 runs in 10 innings of the ODI World Cup 2023 at an impressive average of 75.33.

Rohit said the final selection call for the wicket-keeper spot will be made on Friday.

“It’s difficult to choose between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. Both are match-winners in their own way. But it’s a happy problem and I want to have that kind of problems. We will decide tomorrow,” Rohit Sharma said during the pre-match press conference.

Rohit will now team up with new head coach Gautam Gambhir and he admitted that the former Indian opener will bring different things to the table like his predecessors – Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri.

“Gautam Gambhir has played a lot of cricket. He worked for franchises before coming to the Indian team. We played a bit of cricket together. Every new coaching set-up brings on something different,” Rohit said in the same press conference.

“Gauti bhai is a very cheerful person in the dressing room. We shouldn’t try to get into his personal life, whether he wants to smile more or not. It’s going to be different with Gautam like it was different with Dravid and Ravi Shastri before him,” he added.

The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka will be played at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Friday.