Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh): In a surprising move, India's wicket keeper-batter Rishabh Pant was promoted to the No. 4 position over Virat Kohli on day 4 of the second Test between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Monday, September 30, 2024.
However, this move ignited the debate around the southpaw's promotion in the batting order as a certain section of fans was left shocked when they saw Pant walking out to bat after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed. Kohli was all padded up with his helmet but was asked to wait. They called this move disrespectful towards Virat Kohli, who has been India's No. 4 batter for a decade now, since India's legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket.
The cricket experts believe that the decision must have been made to keep the right and left-handed combination in the middle with right-handed batter Shubman Gill on the crease. Gill was batting earlier with southpaw Jaiswal, with whom he had shared a 72-run stand from just 63 balls, dominating the visitors. The decision to send Pant over Kohli could have been to maintain the momentum but didn't go down well with a certain section of fans. Interestingly, this was only the 26th time in Kohli's illustrious Test career that he walked out to bat in 5th position.
However, soon after Jaiswal's wicket, Gill also lost his wicket and Kohli walked out to bat at number five. He scored 47 runs in his first innings and owned yet another record to his name, becoming the fastest player to complete 27,000 runs in international cricket, breaking India's former skipper and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar's 17-year-old record.
Hold on, no Virat Kohli at number 4? What’s going on here?! pic.twitter.com/qSCiX3lNWK
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) September 30, 2024
How is Rishabh Pant a better T20 better than Virat Kohli that he came up to bat over Virat 🤯 pic.twitter.com/jAvRqV0QFm
— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) September 30, 2024
Virat Kohli used to play aggressively, even before these IPL Bullies existed. Sending Pant ahead of Kohli is a massive disrespect towards Kohli. pic.twitter.com/6Cxz0PBPD8
— K¹⁸. (@KrishnaVK_18) September 30, 2024
Everyone wants to bat ahead of Virat Kohli on Indian pitches
— M. (@IconicKohIi) September 30, 2024
When it comes to overseas, they leave one by one 😂
Reality of Indian cricket. pic.twitter.com/SI7Mv0Bmoh
During the India's first innings, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were involved in a terrible mix-up that could have led to Kohli’s run-out. On the first ball of the 19th over, Kohli could easily have been run out, but he had the rub of the green going his way. Kohli tapped a slower delivery from pacer Khaled Ahmed and called for a single. Pant, who was standing at the non striker end, responded initially, but then refused to take a single and send Kohli back.
Meanwhile, all Khaled had to do was collect the ball and take the bails off. But instead, he made a meal of it and missed the stumps while trying to throw them out. Kohli seemed unhappy at the start, but then he and Pant hugged each other.
Rishabh Pant hugged and apologised to Virat Kohli for the mix up. 😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/bL8gesjd2f
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 30, 2024
