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Virender Sehwag: Selectors have sent a strong message to Rishabh Pant by dropping him from India's limited-overs squad

Former India opener Virender Sehwag said Rishabh Pant getting dropped from India's limited-overs squad for Australia tour doesn't come as a surprise to him.

Virender Sehwag: Selectors have sent a strong message to Rishabh Pant by dropping him from Indias limited-overs squad

New Delhi, Oct 28: Former India opener Virender Sehwag said Rishabh Pant getting dropped from India's limited-overs squad for Australia tour doesn't come as a surprise to him.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee under the leadership of Sunil Joshi met via video-conference on Monday (October 26) and selected the Indian cricket team for the upcoming tour Down Under.

India squads for Australia tour: Injured Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma miss outIndia squads for Australia tour: Injured Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma miss out

Virat Kohli and his men will take part in three T20Is, three ODIs and four Test matches against Australia and the selectors announced squads for all three formats.

India's regular vice-captain Rohit Sharma was also not picked up due to injury. BCCI Medical Team is monitoring Rohit and Ishant Sharma's progress, who have suffered injuries during the IPL 2020. Both of them have not been named in any of the squads.

In the absence of Rohit, KL Rahul has been named as vice-captain of the India white-ball teams. India will travel to Australia at the end of the on-going IPL 2020 in the UAE.

Pant - who is playing for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing IPL 2020 - didn't find a place in the limited-overs squad due to his poor form. The left-handed batsman hasn't been in the best of his form in the ongoing tournament.

Sehwag said on Cricbuzz, "It was not surprising that Pant was not included. On the last tour, he was not part of the playing XI despite being fit. KL Rahul had performed well as a wicketkeeper and he was used as the regular wicketkeeper in the limited-overs series, and Rishabh Pant was kept out."

Earlier this year Pant warmed the bench in all five T20Is and three ODIs in New Zealand as KL Rahul kept the wickets. Rahul did well with the bat, as well as with the gloves, to further pip Pant in the pecking order and emerged as the first-choice keeper-batsman.

Rahul will be keeping the wickets for India against Australia in both ODIs and T20Is with Sanju Samson as his back-up in T20Is. Sehwag opined the selectors must have sent a message to Pant that he needs to improve his game to make a come back in the limited-overs' set up.

"It might have been a way to send a message to Rishabh Pant that he needs to change his style of play. He would keep losing his wickets, and he doesn't finish off games, and he needs to learn to finish games. If he does not do that, he would not be given chances," Sehwag added further.

Story first published: Wednesday, October 28, 2020, 18:25 [IST]
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