#TFGtake: Selectors, what has Rishabh Pant done wrong?

THE EXPLOITS AND THE ACTIVITIES of the elite cricketing boards in the current era are often ruthless. The premier teams have a youth system with multiple layers of hierarchy, where talented players are either singled out from local areas or cherry-picked from regional teams. Every successful board, like that of the BCCI, is well equipped to provide a chance to a developing player, living in any corner of the country, if deemed good enough. The increasing demands of the shorter format have in turn generated the necessity of having a larger squad, which will aid in coping with the rigours of the long season. 

Lately, the BCCI has shown signs of its willingness to look beyond the big names and in the process, paved the way for the young brigade. However, the case of Rishabh Pant remains quite mysterious! While several newcomers have benefited, the diminutive wicket-keeper batsman has been left wondering what went wrong. 

Pant, who made his international debut in T20 early this year, has surprisingly played only two games thereafter. Remember, he is yet to don the India colors in the 50-over format. Indian selectors’ decision to keep the southpaw at bay has certainly raised a few eyebrows. 

Following his Ranji Trophy debut in the 2015-16 season, Pant led India Green in the Under-19 Challenger Trophy and was also a part of the Indian squad that ended as runners-up of the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Apart from slamming a record-breaking 18-ball 50 in the league stage, Pant also slammed a century in the tournament. Subsequently, the youngster was picked by Delhi Daredevils for INR 1.9 crore ahead of the IPL 2016. Although the Uttarakhand-born lad had a subdued show in his debut season with the franchise, he punched above his weight in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy and hit a triple-century as well as a blitzkrieg 48-ball hundred. In IPL 2017, the 20-year-old hit two 50s in 14 matches and managed a modest total of 366-runs. 

Pant’s performances in the Under-19 World Cup, the IPL as well as in the Ranji Trophy scream and implore for opportunities in the Indian team. That said, ahead of the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Pant found no place in the outfit that provided debut to Siddharth Kaul and Shreyas Iyer. While the MSK Prasad-led selection committee continues to give opportunities to the likes of Kedhar Jadhav, Manish Pandey and KL Rahul despite their occasional dip in performances, Pant’s omission from the ongoing home series appears rather uncanny. Knowing that the ongoing Lanka tour could turn out to be a drab affair, the team management had plenty of room for experimentation. 

Given that the preparation for the 2019 World Cup has already begun, Pant, who is only 20, claims of being the best wicket-keeper batsman option after MS Dhoni. It would have been ideal for Pant to spend time with Dhoni, learning the tricks of the trade. They don’t come better than this. 

Some might argue that Pant’s inability to grab the opportunities handed to him in the ‘A’ team’s recent triangular series in South Africa, might have hurt his chances. Also, going by the recent performances and the pecking order in the selectors’ radar, there are just two slots up for grabs in the Indian lineup and KL Rahul and Kedhar Jadhav appear as favourites. However, it doesn’t justify any reason for a future prospect not getting a call-up into the squad. 

Worse, if the youngsters are to be groomed and tested in troubled waters for the assignments that lie ahead, it is surprising that the board continues to pick 32-year-old Dinesh Kartik ahead of Pant. Backing youngsters like Pant by giving them a slightly longer rope would propel many talents who are trying to work their way up in domestic format. This ongoing mental torture could inadvertently dent his confidence and prospects going ahead. 

Surprising as it may seem, Dhoni, who has been ruling the roost for a long time also struggled in his initial games for India. However, the selectors and more importantly, then skipper Sourav Ganguly backed the man from Ranchi. Had the team management turned a blind eye towards the then underperforming youngster, the sport would have missed one of the greatest wicket-keepers of all-time.

Needless to say, with a packed calendar in terms of international games in the upcoming months, Pant needs to look at the latest snub as a source of inspiration. The Delhi lad needs to aggressively knock on the selectors' door with striking performances in the domestic scene. But perhaps, the selectors also need to re-think their strategy and ensure that Pant gets his due sooner than later. For it will be a tragedy if his talent gets overlooked. 

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