World Cup 2019: What does Rishabh Pant's inclusion provide to India?

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Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan

"World Cup snub was on my mind," said a dejected Rishabh Pant after a scintillating 78 off 36 balls against the Rajasthan Royals. The snub would have been a shock for the southpaw, who failed to make the cut despite his impressive outings against Australia and in the IPL. Who can forget his unbeaten 159 in the 4th Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground? That was just a glimpse of the force that Pant can be.

His omission was criticized by many experts, including India's former selector Kiran More, Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar and many more. Now after a chain of events, he has finally been drafted into the team, but not the way one would have wanted him to. He has come as a replacement of Shikhar Dhawan, who was in sublime touch with the bat.

Pant has an uphill task ahead of him. He will have multiple roles to play, starting from the number four slot and stretching to the finishing role. It needs no revision that Dhawan's loss can't be compensated, but one needs to forget what has happened in the past.

As Gautum Gambhir stated, Dhawan's loss is a big loss, but one player doesn't mean the entire World Cup.

The 21-year-old Pant brings his own set of benefits to the team. First of all, he is arguably the best option for the number four slot. Vijay Shankar has been going through a poor run of form for quite some time now. Playing Pant at the number four slot and Shankar down the order will only be good for the team. Shankar always looks comfortable in the finishing role, and this might help him get back to form.

Also, Pant will provide stability to the middle order. A number four player is one who has the game to fit in every situation. And Pant has the ability to play second fiddle, accelerate when needed, and come out all guns blazing towards the end.

Being flexible and making Hardik Pandya bat at number four to accelerate is a very good tactic. However, it clearly shows that your regular number four is insufficient to do that job.

Also, being a left-hander further adds to his value. After the loss of Dhawan, there is a shortage of left-handers in the lineup. A left-hander is always a vital cog in the batting wheel. It keeps the opposition bowlers under pressure since they have to change their line and length every time they bowl. They can't be in the flow and have to keep changing their fields too.

Pant's ability to build the innings is another thing that sometimes goes unnoticed. He has often done it in the challenging conditions of Test matches, so why can't he do this in relatively easier ODIs?

Pant has been in sublime touch, and 488 runs in the recent IPL speak volumes of that. He showed how he can single-handedly win games on his day. His 27-ball-78 against Mumbai Indians is an example of that.

Pant has come a long way, and he certainly deserves a chance. He should probably be included in the XI against Afghanistan; that will give him a chance to get some time in the middle, before the big ties against England and the knockouts.

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