4-0 klラーフル！ Bancos Rohit SharmaとGambhir Rishabh Pant In ICC Champions Trophy

India has locked in their playing XI for the crucial ICC Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh, and once again, KL Rahul has been preferred over Rishabh Pant as the primary wicket-keeping option. This marks the fourth consecutive instance where the Karnataka batter has been chosen ahead of Pant, with KL getting preference in the recent three ODIs against England as well.

Why KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant?

Despite the left-right combination strategy that head coach Gautam Gambhir favors, Rahul’s stellar record in ODIs has made him indispensable. With an average of 56.27 at No. 4 and 5, coupled with his ability to stabilize the innings and accelerate when needed, he remains India’s most reliable option. Pant’s superior strike rate of 109.18 is impressive, but Rahul’s consistency and adaptability give him the edge.

KL Rahul & Rishabh Pant: ODI stats comparison at No. 4 & 5

Team India playing XI vs Bangladesh at Champions Trophy

Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav