Rishabh Pant to make way for Hardik, Rinku, and Samson in Champions Trophy squad chosen by Manjrekar

Reports suggest that he is gearing up for a comeback in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, slated to start on January 23. In the meantime, Agarkar is expected to unveil India's Champions Trophy 2025 team in Mumbai this Saturday.

Also Read: Dravid, Kumble got upset at missing Ranji; players flew in and reported for state duty: What's stopping Kohli, Rohit?Sanjay Manjrekar urges Ajit Agarkar to drop Rishabh Pant

Speaking on Star Sports, former India player Sanjay Manjrekar urged Agarkar to drop Pant for the upcoming tournament, and suggested the likes of Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson as replacements. Manjrekar reasoned that in 50-over matches, teams need to accelerate in middle overs, which can be facilitated by other players.

“Pant, I would want him to maybe miss the odd-50 overs tournament. 50 overs is a lot about what happens in the middle. Later if you want to accelerate, you can keep players like Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson in wicketkeeping. Somebody that they might consider,” he said.

Rohit Sharma and Co. crumbled to a 1-3 defeat in Australia, and it was a series riddled with controversy. Virat Kohli had a meltdown with Aussie media, and also a shoulder bump altercation with Sam Konstas. Meanwhile, R Ashwin announced his immediate retirement after the third Test in controversial circumstances. Meanwhile, skipper Rohit opted out of the final Test after poor displays. The only positive was Jasprit Bumrah, who was adjudged as Player of the Series.

Although he hasn’t dominated in ODI cricket, Pant has shown his brilliance in the format. In 2022, he smacked his maiden ton vs England, and also boasts a 59.7 percent boundary rate and 107.5 strike rate. Samson is a favourite to replace and last played an ODI in December 2023, featuring vs South Africa, where he got a ton.

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