Exclusive: 'Ishan Kishan best candidate to replace injured Rishabh Pant in Team India,' says Maninder Singh

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New Delhi, Jan 2: Rishabh Pant's horrific road mishap last week is set to give a selection headache to the Indian Cricket Team in the days to come.

The wicketkeeper-batsman - who sustained several injuries in the car crash on Friday (January 30) while going to his hometown in Roorkee - is likely to be out of action in the first half of 2023.

The left-handed batter was not picked up for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka at home due to a niggle. He was supposed to head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to work on his strength and conditioning.

There was a high probability for Pant's return to India's white-ball set in the upcoming home series against New Zealand later this month. He was also the first-choice wicketkeeper for the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy next month.

Team India will miss Rishabh Pant

Pant has been one of the most reliable batters for Team India in Tests and given his exploits against Australia in the previous series Down Under, the 25-year-old was tipped to be a key player in coach Rahul Dravid's scheme of things.

However, the injuries he sustained in the car crash might take a lot longer for Pant to recover. The Delhi cricketer is likely to be away from the action for at least five-to-six months. As per reports, the wicketkeeper-batter is also set to miss IPL 2023, throwing Delhi Capitals' plans in disarray.

Three-way race for Rishabh Pant Replacement

In Pant's absence, Team India will have to look for a replacement and there are quite a few players in contention. Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat are the top names in a three-way race.

Maninder Singh picks the ideal Pant replacement

However, in an exclusive conversation with MyKhel, former India cricketer Maninder Singh suggested a like-for-like replacement of Pant.

Speaking with MyKhel over the phone, the former India left-arm off-spinner claimed Ishan Kishan will be the best candidate behind the stumps across all formats.

"If Rishabh Pant isn't available for selection due to the unfortunate accident he met with, then I believe the team management should pick up Ishan Kishan (who is also a left-handed batter) for that role across all formats. He's an ideal candidate for Team India if Pant is not around.

"I personally believe that a player who is playing fearless cricket should get a chance in the playing eleven. And the way he's batted in whatever little chances he's got, he's proven his mettle. His double century in ODI against Bangladesh was a testimony to the same. Although the bowling against which that ton came wasn't very challenging, nevertheless he's shown the attitude. And a player who's gifted with such an attitude deserves multiple chances."

The 57-year-old cricketer who played 35 Tests and 59 ODIs for India suggested that the team management and selectors should show faith in the Jharkhand cricketer's talent because he has proven his worth and will be a successful wicketkeeper-batter, just like Pant in every format.

"It is the job of the team management and the selectors to reward players of such potential and I strongly believe Ishan Kishan has that knack of a big-match player. I believe if there is one player who's nearby Rishabh Pant's potential across formats, it is Ishan Kishan," he signed off.

Ishan Kishan's recent exploits in international cricket

In the third and final ODI against Bangladesh, the 24-year-old Kishan slammed his maiden international century and went on to convert it into a double ton. He faced 126 balls en route to his 210 (off 131 balls) to slam the fastest ODI double century in the game's history and joined the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma in an elite club.

Interestingly, Pant and Kishan played for India U-19 during the 2016 WC in Bangladesh. The Delhi cricketer played under the leadership of the Jharkhand player in the tournament where India colts finished as runners-up after losing to West Indies in the final.