Star Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who played a big role in India’s historic Test series win over Australia in 2020-21, will not be seen in action during the upcoming four-match series against the world’s No. 1 Test team. The 25-year-old stumper is currently out injured after suffering multiple injuries in an unfortunate road accident on December 30, 2022.
In his absence, India have roped in KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan as the two wicketkeeper-batters, and one of them will surely make his Test debut for India in the first match. Apart from his presence behind the wicket, India will miss the services of Pant with the bat. As an attacking batter, on many occasions, he changed the complexion of the game. It will be tough to fill his void, but according to star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Team India already has a perfect player in its ranks that can step up in Pant’s absence and do the job for India.
In a surprising revelation, the second-highest wicket-taker for India, who himself will have a big role to play, snubbed both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and instead backed Shreyas Iyer to do the job.
Speaking on his YouTube channel ahead of the start of the home series, Ashwin was full of praise for Iyer and said that he has been India’s “go-to batter” alongside Pant over the last few years.
“Shreyas Iyer has been India’s go-to Test batter alongside Rishabh Pant in the last couple of years. That in itself is a lesser compliment for him. He has been the backbone of this batting order. He is going to be a crucial player for India in Pant’s absence,” he said.
However, according to several reports, the right-handed batter Shreyas will not play for India in the series opener in Nagpur as he has still not recovered from the injury that he suffered before the start of the ODI series against New Zealand last month.
