Pant weighs in, time for Rayudu to build his case
NEWDELHI: Rishabh Pant took one little step towards the World Cup squad with his Sunday night blitz — 78 off 27 balls in Delhi Capitals’ win — leaving Ambati Rayudu of Chennai Super Kings, who play Pant’s team on Tuesday night at the Kotla, with a task at hand.
Both are fighting for a slot in India’s middle-order, especially the coveted No 4 slot, and as of now Rayudu holds the edge thanks to his experience despite being inconsistent in recent internationals just like Pant.
The next 50-odd days, however, will be crucial for the two as well as others like Dinesh Karthik and Mayank Agarwal.
More crucial will be the fact that none of them get bogged down by the pressure of making it to the squad. Pant showed on Sunday, on a Wankhede belter, that he is playing with a free mind.
Rayudu, who battled his way to 28 on a sluggish Chennai pitch in the IPL opener against RCB, may have to pick the cue, especially with the team management giving him the license to go all out.
“I don’t know (if he is under pressure). If he hasn’t and can’t get it out of his mind, then that is the part of the coaching aspect that we’d like to apply to the players and free them up,” said Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming.
“He doesn’t have to play a conservative role with us. He doesn’t have to worry about batting balls. He just has to be free. I like him running down the wicket and hitting the fast bowler back over the head for six. That’s the freedom I want to see. That was certainly the player we had last season and all our words are encouraging him to be that way
again and to not fear failure,” Fleming added.
INCONSISTENT FORM
Rayudu had made over 600 runs last season at a strike rate of close to 150. But his form in international cricket has been inconsistent.
In 20 innings since his comeback in September 2018, he has made four fifties and a hundred but more glaringly, he has failed to cross 20 on eight occasions. That’s too many for a batsman expected to play out the middle overs.
“I don’t think World Cup selection is hanging over his head. He is as relaxed as I have ever seen. Whether it transforms into another stellar year, it is yet to be seen. But we’ll get him in a mindset that will give him the best chance,” said Fleming.