Asia Cup 2022: 3 reasons why India must continue to back Rishabh Pant

As Team India slumped to a five-wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the Super 4 stage of the 2022 Asia Cup, Rishabh Pant found several fingers pointed at him for his poor performance.

Playing ahead of Dinesh Karthik since India needed a left-hander in the middle order, Pant scratched his way to 14 off 12 balls before attempting an ill-advised reverse-sweep. Captain Rohit Sharma was seen giving him a piece of his mind in the dugout as several experts too weighed in on the matter and criticized the youngster for his shot-selection.

India have a decision to make ahead of their Asia Cup clash against Sri Lanka. Karthik has been stupendous for the side in T20I cricket, while Pant has failed to deliver on his promise in the shortest format of the game. However, it might just be time for the Men in Blue to firmly place faith in the 24-year-old.

Here are three reasons why India must continue to back Rishabh Pant in T20I cricket.

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#3 Despite his poor numbers, India need a left-hander

England v India - 3rd Royal London Series One Day International

India largely need a left-hander to counter left-arm spinners and leg-spinners in the middle overs, which is something the likes of KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav aren't great at. Even Hardik Pandya's spin-hitting ability has deteriorated a touch of late, leaving the team highly vulnerable to left-arm spin in particular.

Pant doesn't have a great record against them either. He has a strike rate of only 111.58 against spin in T20I cricket, a figure that drops to 98.86 against left-arm spinners. The likes of Keshav Maharaj and Mitchell Santner have troubled the southpaw in the shortest format, often employing wide lines to stay out of his arc. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to counter the strategy effectively.

However, Pant is still India's best bet for attacking spin in the middle overs. Even though his T20I returns haven't been great recently, he has shown immense ability against spin in the Indian Premier League. It's just a question of adjusting his gameplan to outthink the bowlers, something that's harder to do for the right-handers in the batting lineup.

At the end of the day, India must have at least one left-handed batter, and names like Ishan Kishan and Venkatesh Iyer have fallen off the radar. With Ravindra Jadeja injured as well, Pant's importance has only increased. He may not have the numbers to back it up yet, but that's bound to change soon.

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#2 It's an issue of temperament and not ability

India v Pakistan - DP World Asia Cup

As mentioned earlier, Rishabh Pant's biggest issue in T20I cricket has been shot-selection. He's great at taking on left-arm spinners and leg-spinners in Tests, where he has the freedom to decide when he wants to play attacking shots. But in the shortest format, where time is of the essence, the wicketkeeper-batter has sometimes found himself in a muddle.

It's a question of temperament and not technique. Perhaps the only technical flaw that creeps into Pant's game is that he loses shape on his big hits, especially when the ball is out of his arc. But he's a fairly unconventional player in general, and decoding the method to his madness isn't an activity that will yield meaningful results.

Shot-selection will definitely improve with time, and Pant has smart cricketing brains around him to guide him. Temperament is always something that can be built, and there's no reason to ouster him from the T20I side at such a young age. He'll get better with time, and once he does...

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#1 The upside of Rishabh Pant is massive

England v India - 1st Royal London Series One Day International

Only 24 years old, Rishabh Pant has already captained India in T20I cricket. He has been earmarked as one of the candidates to take over from Rohit Sharma, who doesn't have many years left in him at the top level. Pant is one of the core members of the side in all formats, and India need to invest in the young keeper-batter and back him to come good.

Why? Because once he does, Rishabh Pant will be unstoppable. He found himself in a similar position in Test cricket less than three years ago, with several critics pointing out his rash shot-selection, lack of game-awareness and poor wicket-keeping skills as reasons behind the need to drop him. But Pant has managed to silence all of his critics by improving steadily, becoming a bonafide match-winner with Test centuries in Australia, England and South Africa.

India have already experienced the upside of Pant in Tests, and they're bound to in 20-over cricket too. He is destined to become one of the best in the world, if only he's given the time.