World Cup T20I: Why is Rishabh Pant a marginal figure in the Indian squad?

However, it is unusual to see a player of Rishabh Pant's stature being reduced to the role of a bench-warmer, who gets his opportunities only when the stars align for him. 

It is all but inevitable at this point that Dinesh Karthik is going to be India'sIndia's designated man behind the stumps for the T20 World Cup. 

Yet, given Pant is younger and with a brighter long-term future, as well as the apparent advantage he presents of giving India another left-handed batsman in the playing XI, he is now clearly the second choice. 

But why is that the case to begin with? 

For starters, it is safe to say that Pant has underwhelmed mainly in his international white-ball career, especially T20Is. A cursory glance at his numbers proves as much. 

In 51 innings, he scored 934 runs at an average of 23.94 and a strike rate of 126.21. That average, it is worth noting, is boosted significantly by 12 not-outs in those innings. 

Even without that caveat, it is fair to say that those are poor numbers from a player many believe can be both a game-changer and a match-winner. 

It isn't about belief – his Test career has seen him play many a blinder and even match-winning knocks, which is why his place in the side is not in doubt as far as red ball cricket is concerned. 

There'sThere's also the fact that Pant, unlike DK, is a little harder to accommodate in the current playing XI in terms of batting position. 

In T20s, Pant has developed into a middle-order bat who predominantly bats at number 4. However, that slot is currently taken up by Suryakumar Yadav, arguably India'sIndia's standout batsman. 

There is an argument that he could slot in the lower order, but his recent performances in that position don't inspire much confidence. The same, however, cannot be said about Dinesh Karthik. 

Dinesh Karthik has recently reinvented himself as a finisher and played the role to significant effect for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. 

Therefore, it is easier to slot DK into the lower order alongside Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel simply due to the weight of his performances. 

When India plays in the entire strength team, Pant will find it difficult to slot into the side mainly due to these two reasons. 

That doesn't mean that Pant's international prospects are dead – far from it. A good showing in next season's IPL will undoubtedly push him back on the front of everyone's mind; after all, DK is no spring chicken and isn't getting any younger. 

However, Pant'sPant's focus should now be on what he can do about his situation in the future and not worry about riding the bench for the time being. 

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