For India’s T20 World Cup quarterfinal, Ravi Shastri chooses between Karthik and Pant, saying, “When it comes to a game against England…

For the semifinal game against England, former India coach Ravi Shastri prefers Rishabh Pant to Dinesh Karthik. 

He referred to Pant as the Men in Blue’s X-factor.

Dinesh Karthik, the ‘finisher’ for Team India, isn’t performing well in the T20 World Cup. 

The right-handed batter’s dismal average of 4.66 has allowed him to score just 14 runs in four games. Owing to his poor form, there is growing discontent among Indian fans over his place in the team. In the match against Zimbabwe on Sunday, Rishabh Pant was given a chance to play as a replacement for Karthik, but the 25-year-old endured a poor outing and got dismissed cheaply for just three runs.

The argument over Karthik and Pant has gained new momentum as Rohit Sharma and company prepare to play England in the semi-final on Thursday. 

Being a left-handed batter with experience in Australia and the ability to bat in the middle of the order works in Pant’s favour. 

Ravi Shastri, a former head coach of India, has endorsed Pant above Karthik for India’s semi-final match against England, dubbing him a “X-Factor.”

“Dinesh is a great member of the team. 

But considering England’s or New Zealand’s assault, I believe you need a strong left-hander who can switch it on, as well as a match-winning left-hander “Shastri made this statement after India overcame Zimbabwe to win Group 2.