India must play Rishabh Pant in all the games in Nidahas Trophy: Sanjay Manjrekar

New Delhi, March 5: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar seems confused with the BCCI selectors' decision of not giving young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant a chance whenever senior pros MS Dhoni and Wriddhiman Saha are injured or rested.

Preview: Nidahas Trophy: India Vs Sri Lanka

The selectors picked up veteran cricketers like Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik as a replacement to Saha and Dhoni when these two are not around.

Manjrekar, the cricketer-turned-television analyst, is disappointed with the selectors for not searching an heir to Dhoni, once the veteran glovesman from Ranchi decides to quit.

As per Manjrekar he never understood the board's decision of playing senior players like Patel and Karthik for they too not have the age on their side and might end up retiring. The Mumbaikar in a column for Times of India wrote Team India should give ample chance to young Pant and prepare him so that he fits into the side once the veteran wicketkeepers retire.

Off to Colombo!!!😊😊😊 @ImRaina @yuzi_chahal @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/eREiNR83kV

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabPant777) March 4, 2018

Manjrekar hoped Pant is given every possible chance in the upcoming tri-nation T20I series between India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"That we keep going back to Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel every time we have to look beyond Saha and Dhoni is not a good sign. There seems to be a dearth of exciting quality 'keeper-batsmen in Indian cricket today," wrote Manjrekar, who played 74 ODIs and 37 Tests.

"Best they give Rishabh Pant the whole of the Nidahas tournament to show that he can be that 'hard to find' talent," wrote Manjrekar in his column for the news daily.

The Mumbaikar also seemed critical of Manish Pandey's inconsistency for the Karnataka batsman failed to capitalise on the opportunities and performed only in patches.

"Manish Pandey clearly has the talent but I don't quite like his inconsistency. After that brilliant 79 not out recently in the second T20 in South Africa, he failed in the very next game, which is understandable but he had done the same earlier in his career too," wrote Manjrekar. "A spate of failures after his first century in one-day Internationals in Australia in January 2016. He cannot seem to be able to carry his form through. Having KL Rahul in the squad can ensure that Pandey remains on his toes all the time," he wrote further.

Manjrekar felt that the Nidahas Trophy is a good platform for India to test their bench strength with several first-choice players rested, and to plug some holes.

"Indian cricket is currently on an upswing and good teams use such times to plug holes that are not sinking the ship now, but are there nevertheless. India look well placed on the bowling front in white-ball cricket, both in the seam and spin department.

"It's the middle-order batting and finding the next generation 'keeper-batsman after Dhoni, the areas that need to be addressed. [Suresh] Raina has made a promising comeback but to be sure that he is our safe option in the middle, he must continue his form. On comebacks, expectations are greater, because there are sceptics too who you need to win over," he signed off.

The Nidahas Trophy 2018 starts from March 6, with the opening game being played in between India and hosts Sri Lanka. The series will last until March 18.