Rishabh Pant should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in England: Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha, who has not played for India since the Adelaide Test in December last year, said Rishabh Pant's run of form this year makes him an automatic choice in the playing XI over himself.

Rishabh Pant has earned the right to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the tour of England, said Wriddhiman Saha, the other keeper picked in India’s 20-man squad. Saha, who has been India’s second-choice keeper since the Adelaide Test in December last year, said Pant’s run of form this year makes him an automatic choice in the playing XI over himself.

“Rishabh Pant played the last few matches of the World Test Championship, he’s done well and he should be our first-choice keeper in England. I would just wait, and if any opportunity arises, I will give my best. I will keep practising for that one chance,” Saha told Sportskeeda on Friday.

Saha is the second wicketkeeper in India’s Test squad as they travel to UK for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in June and a five-match Test series against England the following month.

READ | Pant will improve gradually as wicketkeeper: Saha

The BCCI on Thursday announced the decision to include Andhra wicketkeeper KS Bharat in the squad. Saha said Bharat was with the Indian squad in the last series as well, saying he feels “they have picked a third keeper bearing in mind the risk outside”.

On being asked how Saha could have contracted the virus, the Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper said, “The day before I returned positive, two to four CSK members showed symptoms. And two days before that, we had played versus Chennai and I was present at the ground. I had interacted with a few CSK guys during practice, so I feel that could have been the source.”

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