Rating the Indian openers ahead of the 2019 World Cup

Rishabh Pant - 6/10

Despite his inexperience, Pant is another option India could try

Of late, barring Shikhar Dhawan, India have seldom gone for specialist openers at the start of their ODI careers. Rohit Sharma started in the middle-order before moving up the order, it has been the same for Ajinkya Rahane. KL Rahul has bucked this recent trend and the Indian side could do worse than try out another talented youngster at the top of the order.

Rishabh Pant has already made his T20I debut but even there, he played in the middle-order. And while it is true that he has played just under a dozen List-A games in his career, he has shown that he has the potential to shine in international cricket. Much like how Quinton de Kock was given a chance early in his career, to open the innings in ODIs, Pant deserves one as well.

If there is one area of concern for India, especially in ODIs, it is their lack of an aggressor at the top of the order. Both Dhawan and Rohit like to take their time and as a result, while there is usually a solid platform, to begin with, the powerplay isn't made utmost use of. And that is where the explosiveness of 19-year-old Pant becomes an advantage and the fact that he provides a left-right combination with Rohit means that he certainly deserves a chance before the World Cup.