India’s star commentator, Aakash Chopra is not happy with the decision of the BCCI to not make Rishabh Pant captain in the 2024 Duleep Trophy. The BCCI announced the squads for the first round of the domestic tournament on August 14, marking Pant’s return to red-ball cricket for the first time since 2022. Although Pant has been included in ‘Team B’ for the tournament, it’s notable that he has not been given the captaincy role.
This decision by the BCCI prompted a reaction from Chopra on his YouTube channel, where he expressed his surprise, saying, “Is Rishabh Pant not even being considered for Test captaincy? I’m a little surprised.”
Chopra further revealed that 28-year-old Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead Team B in the Duleep Trophy 2024. He commented, “Rishabh Pant is not the captain. He has been selected for Abhimanyu Easwaran’s team and will be playing under Easwaran’s captaincy, which is fine.”
However, Chopra expressed his disappointment with the decision, noting that Pant has consistently excelled in the Test format. “Personally, I don’t agree with this because the best version of Rishabh Pant has been seen in Test cricket,” he said.
Chopra also highlighted Pant’s remarkable achievements abroad, stating, “He is the only wicketkeeper in Indian cricket history to have scored centuries in South Africa, England, and Australia in Test matches. Given his style, approach, and consistency in Test cricket, I believe he was a strong candidate for captaincy.”
Do you agree with Aakash Chopra?
