‘You picked Dhruv Jurel and didn’t pick Rishabh Pant’- Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant’s exclusion from England series

The India squad for the upcoming England series has been revealed, however the 15 does not include some well-known players. Rishabh Pant, the 2024 T20 World Cup champion, is one of the players who will not be present in the forthcoming five-match T20I series.

Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel are the wicketkeeper batsmen selected before Pant. Although Samson has done well in his recent Twenty20 International endeavours, particularly in the most recent series in South Africa, several observers are baffled by the decision to start Dhruv Jurel over an accomplished player like Pant. Aakash Chopra, a former India opener and commentator, is among the professionals who have expressed their opinions on this choice. He even questions whether Pant will be guaranteed a spot in the forthcoming ICC tournament.

“You chose Dhruv Jurel over Rishabh Pant.

It’s an intriguing one. It is impossible that you believe Rishabh Pant is incapable of playing Twenty20 cricket, or that he is not good at white-ball cricket. On his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned, “Are we going to take that call so early in somebody’s career?”

Rishabh Pant is a plus, in my opinion. He is a talent that transcends generations. You should invest in him as a player. Since he has returned from playing a lengthy series, he may have been rested. He may not be selected to win the Champions Trophy, though. Even if it is, the XI does not guarantee it. Chopra went on, “So you could have kept him with the team.”

Aakash Chopra on Dhruv Jurel

In his remarks on Pant, Chopra also mentioned Jurel, saying that the 23-year-old prodigy has a lot of potential and promise. He cited his performance against England in Ranchi and his practice match prior to the BGT, but he also noted that he hasn’t yet demonstrated many performances in the shorter format.

“I adore the child!” His batsmanship is impressive. The temperament is superb. In Ranchi, we witnessed the man’s might. He performed well enough to win Player of the Match in his debut match. He participated in the inaugural BGT (2024–25) competition, and since anyone might be eliminated in a single battle, I won’t delve farther,” he stated.

In his previous side game, he scored runs. He has a lot of promise and potential. Performance, the third “P,” hasn’t arrived yet in T20 cricket, though. You chose him based on his unadulterated potential. He will undoubtedly bat in the middle, but he will also warm the bench, Chopra said.