'If Pant is fit on even one leg, he should come in' - Sunil Gavaskar deciphers India's wicketkeeper-batter conundrum

In the lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup, renowned former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar anticipated a tightly contested race for India's wicketkeeper spot. Following the multi-format tour to South Africa, Team India prepare for their white-ball encounter with Afghanistan. Making a return to the T20I squad were Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while some prominent names were rested for the upcoming series.

During a show, Gavaskar endorsed Rishabh Pant's potential return to the Indian setup. Pant had endured multiple injuries in a serious car accident but is expected to make a comeback for IPL 2024 with the Delhi Capitals. When discussing KL Rahul's dual role as a wicketkeeper and middle-order batter for the T20 World Cup, Gavaskar threw his support behind Pant and credited him as a potential game-changer for Rohit Sharma's squad.

"I see him (Rahul) as a wicketkeeper as well but I will say one thing before that - if Rishabh Pant is fit on even one leg, he should come in the team because he is a game-changer in every format. If I am the selector, I will put his name first. However, if Rishabh Pant is unavailable and KL Rahul keeps wickets, it will be good because the balance will also get created. Then you have the option to play him as an opener or use him in the middle order as a finisher at No. 5 or No. 6," the former India skipper said on Star Sports’ Game Plan show.

Sanju Samson makes comeback as KL Rahul was left out for Afghanistan series 

Team India will conclude their T20I series against Afghanistan, marking the final encounter before the prestigious tournament hosted by former champions West Indies and United States later this year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the squad and confirmed the comeback of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson. Notably, former vice-captain KL Rahul was omitted while top-order batter Shreyas Iyer was rested for the Afghanistan T20Is.