The wicketkeeping debacle between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik has been a major talking point ahead of Team India's T20 World Cup semifinal clash versus England. Just when it seemed that Rohit Sharma would prefer DK as his man behind the stumps, the Indian skipper surprised everyone by going with Pant instead for the final group game against Zimbabwe.
Thus, the ongoing debate between Pant and DK arose again, but former South African skipper AB de Villiers has suggested a rather interesting take on the wicketkeeping dilemma. While it was the veteran Karthik who started in the first four matches of India, Pant was preferred by Rohit in the final group game.
Karthik has so far failed to impress with the bat, whereas Pant also failed to light up the occasion as he could only score 3 runs against Zimbabwe.
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Insisting that Karthik should continue in the semifinal given his experience, De Villiers also backed Pant to start with DK in the playing XI against England.
"Difficult one. For me, absolutely no doubt, DK should be there. Knock-out stages, he's experienced, I would want him. But, here's the curveball, I would want Pant in the team as well. I would find another spot for him. I don't know who makes way for him," said the former Proteas skipper speaking on his YouTube channel.
Backing Pant's previous exploits in Australia from Test cricket, De Villiers said that his versatility could come in handy.
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"Pant has got Test hundreds in Australia before, he's got the experience, and the confidence to take the game away from any bowling attack. He can face fast bowling and spin. He's versatile, I will make room for both of these guys. You need DK's experience and you need Pant's match-winning abilities. That's my five cents," added the legendary batsman.
