IPL 2018: Fans Slam Selectors For Leaving Rishabh Pant Out Of Indian T20I Squad
Rishabh Pant, considered to be MS Dhoni's eventual replacement by many, was left out of the India T20I squads against Ireland and England.
Highlights
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Rishabh Pant not picked for Ireland and England T20I series
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Fans vent anger over Indian selectors' decision
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Rishabh Pant is the current 'Orange Cap' holder
Rishabh Pant has been in terrific form in IPL 2018 and has been one of the bright sparks in a lacklustre season for the Delhi Daredevils (DD). On Thursday night, Pant blasted the highest T20 score by an Indian. The wicket-keeper's knock of 128 not out off 63 balls against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) was also the highest-ever individual score in a losing cause in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pant's scintillating knock took him to the top of the run scoring charts but inexplicably his performances this season seem to have fallen on deaf ears as the youngster failed to make it to the India T20I squads for the series against England and Ireland.
On Wednesday, the Indian selectors named 16-member ODI and T20I squads. India will face Ireland in a two-match T20I series, which will be followed by 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests against hosts England.
However, Pant was a glaring miss from the T20I squad with Dinesh Karthik taking the second wicketkeeper's place. The left-hander could have been possibly picked as a specialist batsman but Suresh Raina and Manish Pandey were picked ahead of the Delhi youngster.
Fans were not too pleased with the decision made by the Indian selectors with many taking to Twitter to vent their fury.
This innings from Rishabh Pant is a tight slap on Indian selectors. Well played Pant @BCCI @StarSportsIndia @DelhiDaredevils @kartikmurali #DDvSRH
— Dhairya Joshi (@dhairya257) May 10, 2018
Pant...Pant... Pant... Take A Bow! ATTENTION selectors Team INDIA!!! @RishabPant777 pic.twitter.com/6pfPIkSRHb
— Suniel Shetty (@SunielVShetty) May 10, 2018
Rishabh Pant is making a statement to the selectors... They should have included him in the squad this time... #DDvSRH
— Niranjan S. Nair (@niranjansnair) May 11, 2018
#RishabhPant
— Sain Rajput (@RajputReal1) May 10, 2018
Tight Slap to Indian Selectors and Team Think tank.
Why Rishabhpant is not in the Indian T20 team.
He is the best T20 payer In India right now.
Incredible talent #RishabhPant
— Shreya Ranbir (@Shreyabajaj16) May 10, 2018
A clear message to our dumb Indian Cricket team's selectors.
Indian selectors are such fool that they can't see pant's form, but still select one match hero Dk, rip selectors #DDvSRH #RishabhPant
— vaseem akram (@Akram02184778) May 10, 2018
#DDvsSRH
— GIRI(@GIRI_balan) May 10, 2018
This is #RishabhPant's hard hitting slap to selectors for not picking him for the upcoming series against #Eng
Time for the selectors to remove him from the wicketkeeper queue, and play #RishabhPant purely as a batter in white-ball cricket. #DDvSRH #IPL
— Amit Banerjee (@akb287) May 10, 2018
Not like Rishabh pant suddenly appeared from the scene he ws the part T20 team in srilanka last mnth can selectors ans why is he dropped ?
— Anubhav khare (@khareanubhav) May 10, 2018
Pant's brilliant hundred went in vain as Delhi lost to Hyderabad by nine wickets, ending all their hopes of making the playoffs.
Pant became the second youngest player to score an IPL hundred and youngest to score 1000 runs in the Indian Premier League.
With 521 runs in 11 matches, Pant also overtook KL Rahul of Kings XI Punjab to take the 'Orange Cap'.