Rishabh Pant hasn’t been able to justify faith team management has in him: VVS Laxman

India will be taking on West Indies in the upcoming T20I series at home. The spotlight will be on Rishabh Pant who has been under pressure to find form. 

Now with the inclusion of Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper-batsman needs to be more consistent in his role. 

Former India batsman VVS Laxman also believes that the presence of Samson in the squad was a message for Pant to start performing.

“The team management and the selection committee have passed on a strong message that we got a backup in the form of Sanju Samson. Rishabh Pant has been given a lot of opportunities and I’m sure that they will be communicating and giving him that security within that group,” Laxman told Star Sports.

“But then ultimately the player has to justify the faith the team management, the selection committee has been imposing on him,” he said.

“Unfortunately, Rishabh hasn’t been able to do that, but he is that X factor. I still feel that he is an exclusive batsman who can come and change the course of the match just by his ability to hit good balls out of the park.”

Laxman also believes that MS Dhoni would want to see and observe the performance of both Pant and Samson.

“I think MS Dhoni will wait with patience to see the performance of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. Whenever he gets an opportunity and he will take a call after the IPL because the way I am seeing it, MS Dhoni is preparing himself for the IPL. I’m sure he will do well like he has done whenever he plays and leads CSK,” said Laxman about Dhoni’s future.