West Indies vs India: Mohammad Kaif slams India for not giving Rishabh Pant enough chances as T20I opener

Former batter Mohammad Kaif reckoned that India should have persisted with Rishabh Pant as the opener in the first T20I against the West Indies. On Friday, July 29, the Men in Blue used Suryakumar Yadav as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner and the strategy didn’t go down well with Kaif by any stretch of the imagination.

Pant opened in the T20I series against England and impressed quite a bit with his fearless display of stroke-play. Kaif urged head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit to give Pant adequate chances at the top of the order.

Kaif was of the opinion that Suryakumar is a proper middle-order batter, who can carry on the good work done by the top order and then press the accelerator in the death overs.

“Whatever that was, I did not understand it at all. If you were trying Rishabh Pant as the opener for 2-3 matches, then you should have gone with him today as well. Give him at least five chances. And this strategy of captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid, they back the players at least 5-6 matches,” Kaif was quoted as saying on Fancode.

“But this did not happen with Pant. And Suryakumar has the role of controlling the innings in the middle and adding those finishing touches. In fact, his role will remain as the No. 4 batter when Kohli and Rahul return. But Pant should have been tried. Clearly, I did not understand what happened. Ishan Kishan is also waiting,” he added.

In the first T20I at the Brian Lara Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Yadav scored 24 off 16 with three fours and one six before left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein dismissed him.

— ENDS —