“Makes the other team nervous, something Rahul doesn’t”: Atul Wassan rues Pant’s absence in India XI for CT

New Delhi [India], February 22 (ANI): Former cricketer Atul Wassan has expressed his disappointment in Rishabh Pant being sidelined from India’s playing XI for KL Rahul. For Wassan, Pant instils nervousness in the opposition, something Rahul is incapable of.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and his regime’s decision to pitch Rahul instead of Pant has left the fanbase and former cricketers with split opinions. Some have welcomed the management’s decision to keep Rahul in the ODI fold, while others have argued in favour of Pant, citing his impact in the limited-overs format.

Wassan wasn’t impressed with Gambhir’s preference for Rahul over Pant. According to him, the Indian management has let the “mercurial” player down, which could affect him in the long run.

“Gautam Gambhir is picking his own team. I am just very upset that Rishabh Pant is not playing. I don’t know why. He’s a mercurial player who makes the other team nervous. They feel that he will single-handedly win the match. KL Rahul is a very good player but does not attract such fear from the opposition. You let Rishabh Pant down. If you let a good player enter this situation that he won’t play, the hero in him becomes zero,” Wassan told ANI.

Rumours circulated that Rahul would be preferred over Pant in the ODIs ahead of the Champions Trophy itself during India’s 3-0 series triumph over England at home. After India took an unassailable 2-0 lead, reports flooded social media that Pant would take over Rahul’s duties for the final clash before the Champions Trophy.

However, rumours turned out to be untrue when India’s playing XI confirmed Rahul would play the wicketkeeper batter’s role. The versatile batter continued to don the gloves for the Men in Blue in the Champions Trophy campaign opener against Bangladesh.

Rahul embraced the wicketkeeper’s role with confidence, and with the bat, he continued his red-hot form with a composed 41* from 47 deliveries, laced with a sole four and two towering maximums as India sailed to a comfortable six-wicket victory.

While Wassan pitched for Pant ahead of Rahul in the 50-over format, the former’s track record in the ODIs has been far from satisfactory. His last ODI appearance came in 2024 against Sri Lanka, where he fell cheaply for six runs. However, Pant’s fearless batting approach and ability to take the attack to the bowlers make him a compelling option in limited-overs cricket for India.