Sourav Ganguly Credits KL Rahul’s “Fantastic Numbers” for His Selection Over Rishabh Pant

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes KL Rahul’s impressive record in ODIs played a significant role in his selection as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter for India in the ongoing Champions Trophy, ahead of Rishabh Pant. India head coach Gautam Gambhir chose Rahul for the role, leaving Pant on the benches.

“India are such a strong side, especially in batting. Pant is very good. But Rahul has fantastic numbers in ODIs. So, I think that’s the reason Gautam Gambhir has backed Rahul,” Ganguly said after being announced as the brand ambassador of Vura, a construction chemical brand.

India’s Strong Lineup

Ganguly emphasized India’s strength in batting depth, citing players like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel. “India have five Shubman Gills from one, two, three, four, five, six — who can all score hundreds and win matches. When Axar Patel bats at five for India, can you imagine the depth?” he remarked.

Ganguly also noted that India’s batting lineup allows them to recover from challenging situations, as evidenced in their six-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Abhishek Sharma for ODIs

Ganguly suggested that explosive opener Abhishek Sharma deserves an ODI debut soon. “The way Abhishek Sharma batted in the T20I series (against England) was unbelievable for a left-hander. There is no reason why he can’t play one-day cricket. A player like Abhishek Sharma would be in any cricket team in the world,” he added.

India as Favorites

Ganguly backed India as favorites to win the Champions Trophy, highlighting their dominance over Pakistan in recent years. “In the last 25 years, as far as I can remember, India must have lost only once to Pakistan in a world tournament — whether it’s the Champions Trophy, World Cup, or T20 World Cup. India are not just favourites against Pakistan but for me, they are favourites for this tournament,” he stated.

Bowling Combinations

Ganguly stressed the importance of India’s spinners on the Dubai pitch, which is expected to turn. He believes the combination of Mohammed Shami, Harshit Rana, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav will be crucial in their match against Pakistan.

Shami’s Comeback

Ganguly praised Mohammed Shami’s performance, noting that the Bengal pacer showcased his prowess with a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh. “I had said that Bumrah needs Shami, and Shami needs Bumrah. Unfortunately, Bumrah is not fit for this tournament. Shami is, and I’m not surprised by his five wickets against Bangladesh. He will continue to lead the attack throughout the tournament,” Ganguly said.

Positive Outlook for Kohli

Despite Virat Kohli’s dismissal to a leg-spinner for 22 runs, Ganguly remains confident in Kohli’s ability to overcome this challenge. “The quality of cricketer Virat Kohli is —I’m sure he will be able to sort this out. He has got 81 international hundreds, and I’m sure he scored runs against leg-spin also. So, it was probably just one of those days when he got out. He has to find a way to play it,” he stated.

Semifinal Predictions

Ganguly predicted that India and New Zealand will progress from Group A, while South Africa and England are likely to qualify from the other group. He expressed concern about Australia’s chances due to the absence of key players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Ganguly shared fond memories of playing against Pakistan, including leading India to victories in both Tests and ODIs during his tenure as captain. “India have been a far, far superior team. Looking at this Indian team, it’s also far, far superior in the last 20 years,” he concluded.

As India prepares for their next clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the outcome of this highly anticipated match.