---

How Can Rishabh Pant Break Into India’s T20 Playing XI?

Indian star Rishabh Pant has been unable to crack the T20I format at the international level so far. With a strike rate of just 126 in 54 T20Is, the wicketkeeper batter has failed to get going in the 20-over games for the Men in Blue. Recently, the 24-year-old was omitted from India’s XI against Pakistan before being called back to replace the ‘rested’ Hardik Pandya against Hong Kong at the Asia Cup. While his omission did raise a few eyebrows, there is no doubt over his talent and ability to overcome the obstacles. Let’s have a look at how Rishabh Pant can solidify his spot in the Indian team.

Why was Rishabh Pant dropped?

Pant has a poor strike rate when it comes to T20I which affects the team. He needs to work on his skills, especially when India’s top three of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli play conservatively upfront. While the duo of Sharma and Kohli are certainties in the XI, it is important to have a player that can score very quickly and avoid putting pressure on the middle order.

Other Indian batters in the form of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya as well as Dinesh Karthik – boast the ability to get going from ball one, something that Rishabh Pant has not been able to do so at the international level. Slotting the 24-year-old below all such batters does not make any sense, leaving a slot in the top four as the only available option for the wicketkeeper-batter. However, having four cautious starters at the start does not seem to be an ideal setting for the Men in Blue which leaves no slot open for Pant in the team.

How can Rishabh Pant make a comeback?

Despite all the negatives, there are a few reasons why Rahul Dravid would look to include Rishabh Pant in the Indian starting XI. Apart from Pant’s eccentric talent, the Indian side lack a left-hander in the top six which has been a major issue for Rohit Sharma’s side. To counter the same, the Indian team management promoted Ravindra Jadeja to no. 4 against Pakistan in the first game of Asia Cup 2022. While Jadeja walks into bat in the lower middle order. Rishabh Pant is a preferred better batter if India want a left-hander in the midst over the all rounder.

For Pant to walk in the team, the Indian think tank would have to play either Jadeja or Pant in the XI. However, the Men in Blue would risk playing with four specialist bowlers in the all rounder’s absence. It would also put on Pandya who would be expected to complete his quota of overs every game.

A like-for-like replacement to rope in Pant would be Karthik in the XI. However, Karthik is a key player at the death overs with the 37-year-old registering a strike rate of 161 in IPL 2022. He has also fared well for the national team at the end overs and he has given the team no reasons to drop him. 

Now, the only role left for Pant is the role of the opener. Despite being tried at the top in 2 innings for India, the 24-year-old has not fared well so at that job twice in T20Is. The question now falls on the Indian team management and their decision on how they decide to approach the problem and decide to include Rishabh Pant in the playing XI.

For more fantasy sports news and poker promotions, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram. 

---

---

More News

---

Comments