“He Could Be the Guy”- Kevin Pietersen Names an Ideal Replacement for Rishabh Pant

India suffered a big setback when star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant went through a horrible car accident in December 2022. That accident forced Rishabh Pant to stay away from the game for the next year or so. Currently, he is going through his recovery process. India missed him in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and he will not be part of the upcoming World Test Championship final as well.

Meanwhile, some reports confirmed that Rishabh Pant might take more time and will not even feature in the Asia Cup 2023 and the ODI World Cup later this year. However, former English star Kevin Pietersen has revealed an ideal option for India if they are searching for Rishabh Pant’s replacement. He has named an Indian uncapped wicketkeeper, who is currently playing for Punjab Kings in the ongoing 16th edition of the Indian Premier League.

“India have their Rishabh Pant replacement”- Kevin Pietersen picks Jitesh Sharma as Pant’s replacement

In his column at Betway, Pietersen wrote that Punjab Kings wicketkeeper batter Jitesh Sharma can become a replacement for Pant. He said that the 29-year-old is a special talent and India can think of giving him a chance in Pant’s absence. Jitesh has been praised for his ability to go after the bowling from the word go. In 2022, he scored 234 runs at an impressive strike rate of 163.34. Pietersen wrote,

This season as well, Jitesh has done a tremendous job for Punjab. He has scored 145 runs so far at a strike rate of 149.48. His 7-ball 25 against Mumbai Indians helped his team go past the 200-run mark in the last game.

Furthermore, the former English star also praised some veteran stars like Faf du Plessis, David Warner, and Ajinkya Rahane. Punjab Kings is currently at 6th place with four wins out of seven games at an NRR of 0.162. They will play their next game against Lucknow Super Giants on 28 April.