The Indian team is likely to go ahead with Rishabh Pant as the keeper for the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals against England on Thursday (November 10).
In 2022, Pant has not got enough opportunities in the T20Is due to Dinesh Karthik’s rise in the form in the shortest format.
Karthik slammed 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.33 for RCB and got a national recall after a hiatus of nearly three years.
Leaving aside a few terrific finishes, Karthik has scored 287 runs at an average of 20.50 in 22 T2OI innings. this year. On the flip side, Pant has scored 341 runs in 18 innings, with an average of 24.50.
With only 14 runs in three innings, Karthik made way for Pant in India’s last Super 12 fixture against Zimbabwe.
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T20 World Cup 2022: Rishabh Pant likely to be a keeper for India against England
The Playing XI of the Indian team is not expected to be altered much for the semi-final game against England. Although Dinesh Karthik batted for a long duration in the nets, he is not likely to make it to the final combination.
Also, Axar Patel provides a quality option for the Men in Blue and can deliver his four overs in no time with an efficient economy. With the English team having many right-handers, he can be beneficial for the Indian team with his left-arm spin.
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Although Patel hasn’t contributed enough with the bat, he can help India if other bowlers prove to be expensive.
With Karthik’s exclusion, the onus on finishing well will be on Hardik Pandya, who has looked out of touch in recent games.
The Indian team, who played their last game in Melbourne is considering the pitch and ground dimensions of Adelaide to arrive at their final combination. Generally, the batters have found assistance from this surface in the tournament.
