'First choice Will Be Rishabh Pant' - Raina On India's Wicketkeeper For T20 World Cup 2024

Suresh Raina ( Image Source: Twitter) 

Former India's destructive batter, Suresh Raina believes that Rishabh Pant is likely to be first choice wicket-keeper batter for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, if he proves his fitness and performs well in the upcoming Indian Premier League edition. 

Rishabh Pant met with an horrific car accident in December 2022. In his absence, several cricketers, namely Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma kept wickets for the Indian team. The latter has performed admirably at lower down the order in whatever chances he has been offered so far in the T20 side. 

In the recently concluded first T20I against Afghanistan, Jitesh Sharma played a handy knock of 31 runs in just 20 deliveries. The 30-year-old batter is in the reckoning to claim wicket-keeper slot in the T20 World Cup, however, Suresh Raina believes that Pant has a better chance to make into squad. 

"I feel Sanju Samson can be a weapon as he can bat anywhere. Jitesh is also there but I feel Rohit Sharma's first choice will be Rishabh Pant, depending on what he does in the two months (of the IPL), because he keeps well, and will be making a comeback." Raina spoke during a discussion on Colors Cineplex. 

Left-handed wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan is also in the fray. The southpaw, however, made himself unavailable for the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. Sanju Samson, recently, struck a hundred in the 3rd ODI match against South Africa. However, he missed out for a slot in the playing XI in the first T20I against Afghanistan. 

"Ishan Kishan is another option. Jitesh Sharma is keeping exceptionally well and has done well in batting whenever he has got a chance. However, Sanju Samson brings impact. He plays big knocks. He thinks like a captain and captains the Rajasthan Royals as well. I have great confidence in him." Raina added. 

India beat Afghanistan in the first T20I by 6 wickets to take 1-0 lead 

Team India registered a comprehensive 6-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first T20I match in Mohali to take 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and invited Afghanistan to bat first. The visitors didn’t have a great start, losing three wickets for just 57 runs in the first 10 overs. 

However, M Nabi (42 off 27) and Azmatullah steadied the ship with a half-century partnership for the fourth wicket. Najibullah’s 11-ball 19-run cameo in the end helped the team reach 158 runs at the end of the first innings. 

However, it didn’t prove enough as India chased it down in just 17.3 overs. Despite two early wickets of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, the likes of Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube held their nerves and took the team closer to the total. Varma got out after scoring 26 but Dube went on to play an unbeaten knock of 60 off just 40 balls. His assured knock coupled with a handy knock of 31 off 20 balls from Jitesh Sharma helped India register a 6-wicket win in the end. 

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