Rishabh Pant's game-changing audacity or KL Rahul's quiet dependability? It is a tough call that head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma will have to take when they zero-in on the batter-keeper's slot for the Champions Trophy during the ODI series against England starting Thursday. The first training session on Tuesday provided intriguing clues as to which of the two might find a place in the playing eleven. Both players spent significant time honing their skills, but it was Rahul who had the more extensive session in which he not only batted but also underwent wicket-keeping drills.
Meanwhile Pant focused solely on his batting, treating the spinners with disdain as he hit one-handed sixes, cheeky ramps, and his trademark falling slog and reverse sweeps.
Rahul looked more measured, preferring to pierce the gaps rather than display brute power. More importantly, he also kept wickets, reinforcing his credentials as India's potential first-choice wicketkeeper.
With Rohit and Gill likely to open, followed by Kohli and Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya No. 6, the wicketkeeper-batter is likely to slot in at No. 5.
Rahul performed well in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 452 runs while also keeping wickets. However, Pant was unavailable for selection as he was recovering from his car accident.
Rahul offers stability, India's top order is predominantly right-handed, making the left-handed Pant a valuable option for variety.
Pant's unpredictability, raw power, and ability to clear the ropes make him an X-factor, whereas Rahul often struggles with strike rotation in the middle overs.
In India's last ODI series against Sri Lanka, Rahul kept wickets in the first two matches, scoring 31 and 0, while Pant played the third game but managed only 6 runs. India could opt to include both players in the XI, but that would likely come at the expense of Iyer.
On the fast-bowling front, Mohammed Shami made a strong statement. The experienced pacer bowled at full tilt for nearly one and a half hours.
Facing him were none other than skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two stalwarts who relished the challenge.
Shami, having recovered from sports hernia surgery, looked sharp, underlining why he is expected to lead India's pace attack in the upcoming ODIs.
Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, the younger quicks in the squad, had a relatively lighter workload, while Rohit and Kohli, both of whom have struggled in red-ball cricket recently, looked in fine touch with the white ball.
Rohit, embracing his aggressive approach from the 2023 ODI World Cup, continued to attack, while Kohli displayed elegance with exquisite drives.