World Cup 2019: 3 reasons why India should play Rishabh Pant against Afghanistan

Till around a week ago, Rishabh Pant was not a part of India's World Cup squad. It was after Shikhar Dhawan fractured his thumb during the course of his magnificent century against Australia, that Pant had to be flown in as cover.

And after Dhawan was ruled out of the tournament for good, Pant found a permanent place in the squad, replacing his fellow Delhi batsman.

If there has been one Indian cricketer who has polarized opinions in the last year or so, it has to be Pant. The first Indian wicketkeeper-batsman to score two overseas Test centuries, Pant's limited overs stint has not been that great at the international level.

There is no doubt that he can hit the ball hard and long. But whether he has the perfect temperament for 50-over cricket is a debate that has been on for a while now.

With his recent exploits, Pant automatically walks into India's playing XI for Test matches as well as T20s. But ODI cricket requires a fine balance and each player has a role.

Teams like West Indies and Afghanistan can be hard to beat at the T20 level. And while South Africa is a champion team in Test cricket, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have also shown that they can challenge teams in the longer format of the game.

But ODI cricket is a different game, and teams like India, New Zealand and England have mastered the art in recent years. That is the reason such teams find themselves easily at the top of the points table in the World Cup so far, while others are struggling even with a fortnight remaining before the end of the group stage.

In the current Indian team, each player has identified his role with some success over a period of time. Virat Kohli is not the kind of captain who would like to make too many changes to his winning combination after a couple of forced changes already. But he is one who loves to think differently and would bet on the dark horse more often than not.

Let us have a look at a few reasons why Pant could add value to the current Indian setup, especially in the game against Afghanistan.

1. Power hitting is the need of the hour

Teams like New Zealand, England and India know how to approach any ODI after consistent showing of late

Pant is the last person who would refrain from any opportunity to attack the opposition bowling. India's batting strategy in the tournament so far has been quite simple. See off the new ball, build partnerships in the middle overs and go all-out in the final 15. If the team manages to tick the first two boxes, Pant is the best bet for the final onslaught.

A 20-over game or a task at hand is easier to approach for Pant than a full 50-over assignment. One of the possible reasons for his success in the Test format can be attributed to the fact that he usually comes into bat with a precise task in hand.

He knows he has to assist the top order batsman who is already at the crease, and also take care of the scoring with the lower order to follow.

In the current Indian setup, batsmen like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Vijay Shankar and MS Dhoni have the task of setting a platform, whether while batting first or second. Power hitters like Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant can then come in and attack right from the start.

With New Zealand, England and Australia all looking to attack, India need to step up their game as well. Although a semifinal place looks within sight now, India would look to seal the top spot for an easier semifinal and more rest time, rather than the opposite.

Even if India win all their remaining five matches, a top spot is not guaranteed as there is a chance New Zealand might gather similar results. Any match that gets rained out also goes against India's favor, and a healthy net run rate might be the only savior.

Even an explosive 20-ball stint from Pant can make the kind of impact that can help India seal a top spot with a better net run rate. But he needs to be in the playing XI first, if India are thinking that far ahead.

2. The curious case of Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav is the only player Rishabh Pant can possibly replace as of now

Kedar Jadhav has proved his ability as a reliable middle order batsman and a useful bowler in the last nine months. His partnerships with MS Dhoni in the matches against Australia earlier this year reasserted his maturity and level-headedness. He is a handful with the ball as well, but does he really have a role to play at this point in the tournament?

While the top five (including MS Dhoni) are taking care of building solid partnerships, the specialist bowlers are fulfilling the dual role of taking wickets and drying up the runs. Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar are filling in for the fifth bowler's overs, and took two wickets each during India's comprehensive victory against Pakistan.

If India find spin-friendly conditions, Kuldeep and Chahal are likely to take five-six wickets in the 20 overs between them. If the conditions assist a bit of swing, Pandya and Shankar could provide great support to Bumrah and Shami. Jadhav has not had a great year so far with the ball, and he is not particularly a power hitter.

If Pant replaces Jadhav in the playing XI, he would be assigned the role of a pinch hitter or a finisher - jobs tailor made for him. In fact, if other batsmen manage a healthy strike rate, Pant's presence can help the team to huge scores such as 400 and above.

3. There is still room for experimentation

India face two relatively easy oppositions before going into the final fortnight of their World Cup campaign

The World Cup is not a tournament for experimentation. But if there was ever a chance for India to throw in a wild card, this is it.

On paper, India have two of their easier matches next up, facing Afghanistan on 22nd June and West Indies on the 27th.

While the team will have to put up with two forced changes (Vijay Shankar for Shikhar Dhawan, and Mohammed Shami for Bhuvneshwar Kumar) already, India should not mind making a third, voluntary change, before going into the final fortnight of the tournament with a sorted XI.

Playing Pant at this stage of the tournament is certainly a risk, but India has other back-ups even if things fall flat. If Pant fails to impress in either of these two matches, Jadhav can be brought back to the playing XI for India's match against England.

But if Pant gets a look in at all, with a clear cut goal conveyed to him by his captain, he would be able to express himself more freely and make a bigger impact.