Rishabh Pant India Return:  Rishabh Pant could be handed another chance to revive his white-ball career, while Hardik Pandya’s return to competitive cricket is set to be one of the biggest talking points when India’s selectors meet to pick the squads for the upcoming West Indies series. According to PTI, the national selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar will finalise India’s squads for three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies.

While the T20I group is expected to largely resemble the squad selected for the Asian Games, the ODI selections could involve several important decisions.

Pant Could Get White-Ball Lifeline

Rishabh Pant is among the players with the most to gain from the meeting, while the selectors must also determine whether Pandya is ready to immediately handle the demands of ODI cricket.

Pant’s inconsistent IPL form had resulted in him losing his Test vice-captaincy as well as his place in India’s white-ball teams.

However, the situation could change with Ishan Kishan set to be in Japan for the Asian Games.

KL Rahul is expected to remain India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs, but Pant could still make the 15-man squad as the second option.

The selectors are also said to have another pathway available. As per the report, should Pant be overlooked, Dhruv Jurel could be selected instead, while the former LSG captain likely leading the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup.

Hardik Pandya Return Poses Selection Puzzle

Hardik Pandya’s comeback is another major issue for the selectors.

The all-rounder is scheduled to return to competitive cricket on September 20 and has already been picked for India A’s three-match ODI series against Australia A in Puducherry.

However, the timing of the West Indies ODI series means the selectors must decide whether Pandya can immediately cope with the workload of bowling 10 overs and fielding for a full 50-over match.