PANT IN WORLD CUP MIX: MSK

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant is a “champion cricketer in the making”, who is very much in the mix for the India’s World Cup campaign, said chief selector MSK Prasad.

After being “rested” for the ODI series against Australia and New Zealand, there have been conjectures about his place in the England-bound squad but Prasad said: “Rishabh Pant played three T20s and four Tests in Australia and that had an impact on his body. He needed complete rest for two weeks and then we will take a call on how many matches he will play against England Lions. He is very much in our World Cup plans. He is a champion player in the making,” Prasad said.

Prasad is equally excited about Shubman Gill.“he is comfortable both opening the innings as well as playing in the middle-order. For New Zealand series, we are looking at him as the reserve opener behind Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma). I won’t comment if he will make it to World Cup but he was phenomenal as an opener for India A in New Zealand.”