"The X-factor was missing in the World Cup final" - S Badrinath on choosing between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for IND vs ENG 2025 ODIs

Former India player S Badrinath wants Rishabh Pant to be picked ahead of KL Rahul as the Men in Blue's wicketkeeper-batter for the upcoming ODI series against England. He pointed out that the Delhiite is an X-factor, a type of player India missed in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia.

India will square off against England in three ODIs, with the first game scheduled in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6. Pant and Rahul are the two wicketkeeper-batters in the Indian squad chosen for the series.

During a discussion on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan', Badrinath acknowledged that there is a close call between Pant and Rahul but cast his vote for the former.

"There is one more spot, which is between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. I still think it's a 50-50 decision. Yes, KL Rahul has done well and he has been in good form, but I want that X-factor. I am a big fan of Rishabh Pant. I think Rishabh Pant is a future captain in multiple formats," he said.

"I don't know which formats, definitely in Test cricket, but then going on probably in white-ball cricket as well. So I want to give an extended rope to Rishabh Pant, being a left-hander and the X-factor that he brings in. That's what you need. That's what happened. The X-factor was missing in the World Cup final," Badrinath added.

India suffered a six-wicket defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. Although Rahul top-scored for the hosts with a 107-ball 66 in the summit clash, their 240-run total proved insufficient.

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"I will go with KL Rahul" - Piyush Chawla on his preferred wicketkeeper-batter for IND vs ENG 2025 ODIs

KL Rahul has amassed 2851 runs at an average of 49.15 in 72 ODI innings. [P/C: Getty]

On a separate 'Game Plan' show, veteran India spinner Piyush Chawla picked KL Rahul ahead of Rishabh Pant as his preferred wicketkeeper-batter for the ODI series against England.

"It is a very difficult call but if I am asked, I will go with KL Rahul because for the last little while in 50-over cricket, if we talk about the World Cup and India haven't played much ODI cricket after that, he has performed well in whichever number he has been asked to bat, whether it's the top of the order, middle order or lower-middle order," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Pant's white-ball record is not as good as in Tests.

"You get tempted for sure to have a player like Rishabh Pant as he is an X-factor and can change the game. However, he has performed exceptionally in Tests but if you check his white-ball numbers, they are not great. I don't need a left-hander in the middle either," Chawla observed.

Pant has amassed 2948 runs at an average of 42.11 in 43 Tests. He has scored 871 runs at a slightly below-par average of 33.50 in 27 ODI innings.