With the mercurial M.S. Dhoni available for the World Cup, no other name comes to mind readily for the slot of wicketkeeper (‘Sport’ page, “Vijay Shankar, Karthik, Rahul make the cut”, April 16). One may argue that Dinesh Karthik and K.L. Rahul — the first a regular wicketkeeper while the latter dons the gloves occasionally — can be standbys in case of an emergency. But, one aspect that had been largely ignored is that the ageing Dhoni would have to remain fit for all the matches. From this angle, the non-selection of Rishabh Pant is quite perplexing. Also, with Dhoni retiring by the end of the World Cup, we need someone who can take up the mantle. Karthik has not been a success with the bat while Rahul’s batting may suffer should he focus on wicketkeeping too. Thus the need for grooming Pant for the future arises.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu