Sunil Gavaskar said that if Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant can bat at No. 5 and 6 for India, the team will have the capacity to score around 120 runs in just 6 overs.
Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant will be explosive at No. 5 and No. 6: Sunil Gavaskar (Reuters Photo)
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- Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant will be explosive at No. 5 and No. 6, says Sunil Gavaskar
- India is hosting the five-match T20I series against South Africa
- Indian team will gather in New Delhi on 5th June before T20 series
Batsman Sunil Gavaskar believes all-rounder Hardik Pandya and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant will be an explosive combination if they bat lower down the order in the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa. Gavaskar said that the Indian team can score around 120 runs in the last six overs if Hardik and Pant bat at number five and six.
After the completion of IPL 2022 on May 29, the focus is now on India’s five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting on June 9. This series will see Hardik’s return to the national team, who scored 487 runs at an average of 44.27. Gujarat Titans played a key role in winning the title in their debut season. On the other hand, Pant, who was leading Delhi Capitals, is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the series and scored 340 runs in IPL 2022 at a healthy strike rate of 151.79.
“I think he will probably be put on five or six. Just imagine, if India have Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant at five or six. They can probably swap a little bit – it’s going to be some explosive combination from the 14th. Till the 20th over. In six overs, you can expect maybe even 100-120 runs. They are capable of doing that. So, it’s going to be an exciting aspect. I’m really looking forward to it — Rishabh Pant And Hardik Pandya bats at five or six,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
The Indian cricket team will gather in New Delhi on June 5 ahead of the five-match T20I series against South Africa. There will be no crowd restrictions and no bio-bubbles for the series, though players will be regularly tested for COVID-19. The other locations are Cuttack (June 12), Visakhapatnam (June 14), Rajkot (June 17) and Bengaluru (June 19).