Reports | Rishabh Pant's 'weight issues' might put his contention into trouble for AUS tourĀ
Pant playing a cover drive in Australia
|Getty
Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant's selection for the Australia tour has come under the scanner after Pant has been found overweight, if we go by the reports. Pant has been going through a lean patch in IPL 2020 and has struggled to prosper in the league like 2018 or 2019 editions.Ā Ā
India are set to tour Australia for a limited-overs and Test series Down Under after they last played in New Zealand, earlier, this year. Indian players returned back to cricket in times of pandemic with the IPL 2020 but they haven't played international cricket yet ever since the inception of Covid-19. Indian gloveman, Rishabh Pant, who was one of the star performers in India's historic Test series win over Australia, last time around, might not even be selected for the upcoming tour given his fitness issues.
The young Indian dasher had even missed few IPL games owing to an injury but now has returned back and is featuring in Delhi Capitals' side. As per a source in TOI, the 23-year-old is 'overweight' and selectors will need to take his fitness report into account before picking him for the Australia tour, which is likely to begin with limited-overs series, followed by a four-match Test seriesĀ
"The Indian team fitness trainer had shared his perspective on Pant some days ago and we believe he's overweight. Regardless of what's obvious on the field, the BCCI and the selectors will have to take the fitness report on Pant into consideration before they can pick him. The selectors need to speak to trainer Nick Webb before taking the call," a source told TOI.
Interestingly, KL Rahul has been keeping wickets for India in white-ball cricket since the home series in Australia, earlier this year, after Pant had got injured in the first ODI. He kept wickets in New Zealand limited-overs series as well where Pant wasn't even playing in dead rubbers as a specialist batsman. Though he did feature in Tests, again failing to impress with the bat. Given his not so impressive run in IPL 2020, his contention was already in trouble and now with this fitness issue, it can prove costly for him.Ā
