Will Rishabh Pant solve the number 4 dilemma for India?

With just 13 ODIs left before India faces South Africa in the ICC 2019 World Cup, the men in blue are yet to close on the number 4 spot. Post Yuvraj Singh’s exit from the team, we have had multiple players staking a claim, but all have flattered to deceive. We’ve had KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik and Ajinkya Rahane among the players who have tried to fit into the spot but sadly none of them has been able to make it their own.

This spot is very crucial in the 50 over format as the batsman may need to set up the foundation or accelerate towards the death overs. If India wants to enter the World Cup 2019 with the X-Factor, they need to play Rishabh Pant. Yuvraj Singh owned the bragging rights for this position for the longest period. With him in the twilight of his career and the World Cup approaching, Pant could be the answer to India's number 4 woes.

The flamboyant keeper batsman has made an impact in the longer format of the game. With a century in the last test in England followed by two scores of 90+ in the subsequent matches, he has shown how good a cricketer he is. For his performances, he has been selected for the first two ODIs against the West Indian team and is likely to debut.

At the same time, the selection committee and the team management seem to be bending towards playing Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the keeper batsman. In that case, Pant should be picked as a specialist batsman just like Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow of England.

The team management and selectors need to back Pant for the World Cup campaign. Pant, being a left hander, will add to the woes of the bowlers and once he gets going, he can do what Yuvraj Singh did in his prime, destroy bowling attacks.

Former cricketers and experts have already started comparing him with the legendary Adam Gilchrist. Instead of comparing Pant with Gilchrist, let’s enjoy Pant for what he has to offer and help him create his own legacy.