Leg and off: Should India move on from Rishabh Pant in T20Is?

Team India entered the post-Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma T20I era in style with a convincing 43-run win over Sri Lanka in the series opener at Pallekele on July 27. Despite smiles all around with the Gautam Gambhir-Suryakumar Yadav coach-captain chapter starting on a positive note, there were a few worrying signs that shouldn't be brushed aside.

Primary among them was Rishabh Pant's stay at the crease during India's batting masterclass. It might be a head-scratcher for several fans, considering he finished with an impressive 49 off 33 balls.

Yet, the gory details of the innings aren't reflected in the final numbers as the southpaw endured a massive struggle for much of his vigil. While India were rolling at 160/3 in the 16th over, Pant labored to 20 from 23 deliveries with his lone boundary coming off a dropped catch.

Although he finished strong with a flurry of boundaries in the next 10 balls, many were streaky.

It begged to ask whether India should continue with Pant in T20Is, especially with the in-form Sanju Samson knocking on the doors.

To have a definitive answer, we must look at various factors related to Pant - tangibles, and intangibles, to see how India should move forward in T20Is.

#1 Overall and recent numbers

[Credit: Getty] Pant has struggled to fulfill his potential in T20Is.

Rishabh Pant's overall numbers and recent form are certainly not up to the mark for someone consistently featuring in the Indian T20I playing XI. The 26-year-old averages a mediocre 23.21 at a strike rate of 127.32 in 75 T20I games.

Considering the thumb rule of average + strike rate >= 160-170 being a determining factor for a good T20 batter, Pant's 150.53 falls well short of the mark. Things get even worse when we analyze his numbers position-wise in T20Is, with the talented batter averaging under 28 in any position from No.2 to 6.

Even recent form works against the wicket-keeper batter as he is averaging only 27.50 at a strike rate of 131.73 in nine outings despite predominantly batting at No.3.

The lone case for Pant's selection in T20Is could be his excellent showing in IPL 2024 with an average of over 40 and a strike rate of 155.40. Yet, international cricket is a different kettle of fish with matches being played across the word and not only on Indian conditions and from the standpoint Pant's overall and recent T20I numbers paint a sorry picture.

Verdict: Moving on from Pant in T20Is

#2 Competitors

[Credit: Getty] Sanju Samson makes the strongest case to replace Pant in India's T20I side

A player's inclusion and exclusion sparks debate usually when his role has stiff competition on the outside. Hence, a look at how Pant's competitors for the T20I wicketkeeper-batter spot will better indicate whether or not India must move on from him.

For all academic purposes, it would be safe to assume Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma, KL Rahul, and Dhruv Jurel as Pant's rivals for the T20I wicket-keeper role.

Here is a look at the overall T20I numbers of Rishabh Pant and his competition:

Before jumping to conclusions, it is worthwhile remembering that most of these players have batted in different positions in the Indian batting order. This makes a big difference to the numbers, meaning the 'Impact' column might be the best comparison index.

A glance should be sufficient to walkway with the conclusion that KL Rahul boasts by far the best numbers on the list. Yet, he has primarily opened in T20Is for India despite his prowess at No.5 in ODIs being an indicator of his capability to make the middle-order position his own in white-ball cricket. However, Rahul hasn't played T20Is for India since 2022 and is getting up in age at 32 compared to the rest.

While Pant's numbers aren't earth-shattering, neither are his rivals' barring Rahul, with their impact hovering in the 150s. Even in the 2024 IPL season, only Samson boasted better numbers than Pant from this list.

Hence, even if maybe more by default, Pant trumps his competition in T20Is as the incumbent except Samson, whose IPL 2024 performance makes him a potential replacement.

Verdict: Persist with Pant

#3 Intangibles

[Credit: Getty] Pant just helped India win their second T20 World Cup title

Lest we forget, Rishabh Pant missed over a year of action due to his horrific accident in December 2022 and the multiple injuries he suffered as a consequence.

While his immediate selection in T20Is over others purely based on pedigree and IPL 2024 form is questionable, the Indian team management may be better served to persist with him now that they went that route. The 26-year-old should improve his batting rhythm gradually as he plays more games.

Despite middling numbers, one must remember the difficulty of the pitches in the 2024 T20 World Cup and how Pant's cameos proved crucial in several Indian wins. Yet, the other side of the coin could be saying - 'It's a fresh start for the next T20 World Cup cycle so if India are treading towards the Sanju Samson or Dhruv Jurel path, the time is now.

It is worth remembering that India's lack of left-handers - a key reason for Pant's white-ball selection, doesn't exist anymore with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top and Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh in the middle order.

While Pant can bat anywhere from positions 3 to 7, the same can be said for almost all of his competitors, making that a moot point. These make it a coin flip on whether he should be persisted with or let go in T20Is from an intangible standpoint.

Verdict: Deadheat

In conclusion, the tangible numbers for Rishabh Pant in isolation make it a no-brainer that Team India moves past him in T20Is. Yet, none of his rivals for the spot boast a commanding claim to it, and several intangible factors point to the management persisting with Pant for a while.