Former India coach Ravi Shastri has backed Rishabh Pant over Dinesh Karthik for the semi-final match against England. He called Pant an X-factor for the Men in Blue.

Team India's 'finisher' Dinesh Karthik is not having the greatest of runs in the T20 World Cup. The right-handed batter has scored just 14 runs in four matches at a paltry average of 4.66. Owing to his poor form, there is growing discontent among Indian fans over his place in the team. In the match against Zimbabwe on Sunday, Rishabh Pant was given a chance to play as a replacement for Karthik, but the 25-year-old endured a poor outing and got dismissed cheaply for just three runs.

As Rohit Sharma and Co. are all set to play against England in the semi-final on Thursday, the debate surrounding Karthik and Pant has received a fresh boost. What goes in favour of Pant is him being a left-handed batter who can bat in the middle order and has good track record in Australia. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri meanwhile, has backed Pant over Karthik for India's semi-final tie against England, calling him an 'X-Factor'.

"Dinesh is a lovely team player. But when it comes to a game against England or New Zealand, just seeing their attack, I think you need a robust left-hander, who can turn it on and a match winner and a left-hander," Shastri said after India defeated Zimbabwe to finish top on Group 2.

"He has done well against England. He recently won a match on his win against England, a one-day game. I would go with Pant, not just because he played here, but because of the X-factor angle, he can bring to the semi-final."

Explaining further, Shastri spoke about the playing conditions in Adelaide Oval where the semi-final will be played and mentioned Pant's potential to exploit the short boundaries at the venue.

"You are playing in Adelaide, short boundaries square, another reason why a left-hander should be there to disrupt the England attack. If you have too many right-handers, there is a sense of sameness to it. England have a nice attack, a varied attack of left-handers and right-handers.

"You need a left-hander in your team, who can be dangerous and win you a game in the back overs even if you have lost 3 or 4 wickets at the top," Shastri concluded.

(With inputs from agencies)