Though pant

ODI World Cup: Along with India embarking on a new era of T20Is with Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir at the helm, the composition of the ODI team leading up to the Champions Trophy next year will also capture the attention of observers.

A crucial factor for the ODI team will be the formation of the middle order. In the ODI World Cup last year, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer held down the fort for India in the middle-order, especially while Rishabh Pant was recovering from a serious car accident.

But with Pant back in India’s ODI team after 20 months, it means India has a situation where three players will be competing for two middle-order spots. In the opinion of R Sridhar, the former India fielding coach, Pant is a must-start player, while either Rahul or Shreyas should be chosen for the three ODIs against Sri Lanka in Colombo.