Leg and off: Has Rishabh Pant cemented his place in India's 2024 T20 World Cup playing 11? 

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's return to cricket has arguably gone better than expected. Although there was no doubt about his caliber, there was a general wave of nervousness as to how he will cope with playing at the highest level right away after such a lengthy layoff.

Pant did struggle across the first few matches, he understandably looked sluggish as he had a difficult time with his timing and overall strokeplay. However, twin fifties in Vizag set the foundation for Pant's campaign, and with an unbeaten 88 off 43 deliveries against the Gujarat Titans (GT) sets him on the precipice of something even more.

The biggest question that everyone had on their minds regarding Pant was whether he would be ready in time for the tournament. The southpaw has certainly caught up to speed, impressing with both bat and gloves, to rise from one of the candidates to arguably one of the favorites in the selectors' eyes.

On that note, let us dissect and see if Rishabh Pant is a shoo-in for Team India's playing XI at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

---

Rewind to the 2022 T20 World Cup

How Team India handled the entire wicketkeeping situation in the previous edition of the tournament was quite puzzling. Rishabh Pant was leading the team in the home series against South Africa, and he ended up warming the bench for the majority of the campaign.

Pant was overshadowed by Dinesh Karthik, and his incredible run as RCB finisher in the 2022 IPL. The duo traded places in the leadup to the 2022 T20 World Cup, but it was the veteran who won the race.

However, Pant ended up replacing Karthik in the latter stages of India's campaign in Australia. The management will be hoping for much more conviction this time around, and to Pant's credit, he is presenting a much stronger case.

---

The irresistible temptation to pick a left-handed batter

A left-handed batter in the middle order is quite a valuable commodity, and it is not an area where India have fared well in recent times. Team India tried a brief experiment to infuse Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan in the right-handed heavy ODI middle-order lineup.

With either one of Rinku Singh or Shivam Dube in the lower middle-order, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, Team India have two left-handed batters to consider in the playing XI, and they would feel that one more might do the trick.

The need for the third left-handed batter in the playing XI stems from the fact that India won't be too keen on relying on either one of Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel with the bat.

Nearly all of the opposition teams will be boasting a leg-spinner in their side. DC recently showed against GT how having two left-handed batters in the middle overs against leg spinners can prove to be a game-changer.

The way Pant took on credible spinners like Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan was quite encouraging, and that is exactly what India need, since they have been accused of being too tentative in the middle overs in the past in high-profile matches.

---

India's richness in the wicket-keeping department is an illusion

India are spoilt for choices in the wicket-keeping department ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, at least on paper. The Men in Blue had a serious run with Jitesh Sharma over the last few months, the returning KL Rahul, and the form that Ishan Kishan, Dinesh Karthik, and Sanju Samson have shown, it has created a muddle in the mind of the selection committee. But is the decision really hard as it seems?

Jitesh Sharma's IPL campaign has been a disaster, to say the least, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson's displays have come at the top of the order, where Team India showcases no vacancy at all. Playing players out of their position just on the back of their IPL numbers is one of the biggest mistakes that India could make in terms of selection for the T20 World Cup.

Despite Dinesh Karthik's impeccable season so far, the selectors will not be entirely willing to go down that road again. What does that leave the management with? Only Rishabh Pant.

Pant is the sole candidate that fits perfectly into India's scheme of things without disrupting the set pattern in place.

One of the other names can certainly be included as a backup option, but as far as the playing XI is concerned, the odds are stacked heavily in favor of Pant, but even he comes with his own set of drawbacks.

---

Pant's confusing approach at times has been his downfall in T20s

Although Pant's inclusion looks perfect on paper, his history in the shortest format raises doubts when recent form is ignored. Barring a heroic and breakthrough 2018 IPL campaign, Pant unfortunately does not have much to show for in T20s on a consistent basis.

Pant has not been the strongest of starters, known to take his time to settle down. While that was acceptable a while ago, such luxuries may not have a place in the modern-day game. With a deep batting lineup expected, the middle order might be asked to go from the word go, and there is doubt over how Pant will cope with that.

The extreme opposite nature of Pant's batting, bordering on insane inconsistency also makes it tricky. He may struggle to the highest order in one innings, and then play one of the smoothest knocks in his very next outing. Approach and rhythm surprisingly play a bigger role than conditions when it comes to Pant.

Right before his sublime unbeaten 88-run knock against GT, the left-handed batter had ended up with a surprising 35-ball 44 at the same venue, in somewhat similar conditions.

If the rest of the Indian batting unit's prowess negates Pant's inconsistency, then he can certainly walk into the playing XI. But no matter what argument is presented in any way, the bottom line is that Pant is certainly a risky selection, but isn't it time India stop playing it safe?