Is Rishabh Pant a Tricky Choice? And What Is Yuvraj Singh’s Role?

If form was the only barometer, then the selectors were absolutely right in expressing confidence in Yuvraj Singh.

The Indian selection committee formally announced the beginning of the Virat Kohli era when they named the Indian teams that will compete against England in ODIs and T20 Internationals. The six-match limited-overs series begins on 15 January.

The teams announced by the selectors on Friday, were more or less along expected lines – barring the odd name in both squads which raised a few eyebrows.

In the ODI squad, the presence of Yuvraj Singh’s name merits a debate. If form was the only barometer, then the selectors were damn right in expressing confidence in Yuvraj – for the left-hander has had his best Ranji Trophy season ever.

In eight outings for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy 2016/17 season, he has scored 672 runs – which includes a career-best 260 – at an average of 84.00.

But at the age of 35, and more than three years after he had last featured in India’s ODI eleven, why did the selectors look back at Yuvraj Singh? If he has been picked in the squad, then a player of his calibre and reputation ought to play in the eleven.

So where does he fit in the Indian team’s scheme of things then? If one can make an educated guess, we are likely to see MS Dhoni relinquish the role of a finisher and bat at number four.

That provides room for a finisher in the line-up – and that is where one expects Yuvraj Singh to fit in – bat at number six. With 290 ODI caps and over 8,000 runs against his name, Yuvraj has plenty of experience and should know well what is expected of him. It is now only a matter of him answering the call, scoring the quick runs against England and justifying the faith of the selectors.

The only new face in the T20I squad named is Rishabh Pant – the wicketkeeper-batsman from Delhi, who was part of the hugely successful Indian Under-19 team last year.

Pant’s selection was along expected lines – given his prolific form in the Ranji Trophy this season. Playing his first full season for Delhi, he took the domestic cricket scene by storm – literally.

The teenager not only scored a mountain of runs, but also scored them at breakneck speeds. In the Under-19 World Cup last year, he smashed the fastest-known 50 – getting to the milestone in 18 balls. In November 2016, he scored the fastest-known hundred in the history of the Ranji Trophy – getting to the three-figure mark against Jharkhand in only 48 balls.

Though the stats and the style of play justify Pant’s selection to the T20 squad, a question begs to be asked if – at 19 years of age – introducing him to international cricket through T20s is the right way to go.

T20 cricket is pyjama cricket. A hit and miss format. A gamble even. The T20 format can be harsh on young cricketers – for success can give them false confidence of belonging at this level and failure can shatter their confidence very quickly, for they are not thoroughly tested. Therefore one wonders if the move to blood Rishabh Pant into the system through T20Is is the right call.

If Pant gets his maiden India cap during at any point of the series against England, he will become the youngest Indian cricketer to play in T20 Internationals.

India need cricketers who can do the job at the highest level in all three formats. One hopes Rishabh Pant can succeed in the T20 format, if and when he gets his first opportunity, and thereafter earn his place in the Indian team in the other two formats too.

For the moment, he has been rewarded for his splendid scores in domestic cricket and he should rejoice getting his first call-up to the Indian team.