Former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Ian Smith has sparked a fresh debate by questioning India’s decision to leave Rishabh Pant out of the squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, despite the wicketkeeper-batter being part of their historic championship-winning squad in the 2024 edition.
Ian Smith questions Rishabh Pant’s shock exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2026
The well-known broadcaster believes that the Indian cricket team will be missing a rare match-winner at a time when they will need impact players during the crunch moments in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, starting on February 7 at home and in Sri Lanka.
Rishabh Pant, who last played a T20I match for the Men in Blue in July 2024, has slipped down the ladder in the shortest format of the game, as players like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Dhruv Jurel, and Jitesh Sharma have been preferred since then by the Indian selectors. Even for the upcoming mega event, Samson and Ishan got the nod as the preferred wicketkeeper-batters.
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Rishabh Pant is a wonderfully gifted player: Ian Smith
Reacting to the call, Smith has expressed his shock over Pant’s omission from the T20 World Cup 2026, as the left-hander is the kind of cricketer who can change the course of a match in a few overs, which is priceless in T20 cricket. He felt Pant should have been picked in the squad.
Ian Smith was quoted as saying by PTI, “I’d pick Rishabh Pant in my team any day of the week. I’m surprised that Rishabh Pant is not here. He is a wonderfully gifted player. He can win a match. That’s what you’ve got to have with T20 players. They’ve got to be match-winners. He’s a match-winner.”
Modern T20 cricket demands balance
However, the former New Zealand wicketkeeper also understands the direction modern T20 teams are taking. He pointed out that selection today is all about balance, where players are expected to offer more than just one skill, saying the teams no longer have space for specialists.
The broadcaster further mentioned, “I think these sides are all about balance. You haven’t got room in your side for too many players who just have one discipline. In other words, they either bat or they just bowl. It’s all about finding the mix.”
In that context, Smith feels India’s decision to back Sanju Samson as a top-order option makes sense, saying he is a batter first who also keeps wickets, which fits perfectly into the current demands of T20s. He also highlighted how the role of wicketkeepers has completely changed over the years.
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Why Sanju Samson and multi-skilled keepers fit the plan perfectly
Smith further mentioned, “Invariably, you’ll find now that wicketkeepers used to be batting at seven. Now they have to bat probably in the top four to be worth their salt. Their main strength will be their batting. Their secondary strength will be their wicketkeeping. The sides that have got one of those players who can do equally well with both.”
The commentator even drew comparisons with players like Tim Seifert, who offer equal value with the bat and behind the stumps, saying such players are extremely valuable because they help teams maintain balance without compromising on either discipline.
He signed off by saying, “New Zealand will end up using Tim Seifert out of the BBL. He’s equally good as a keeper and as a batter. It’s hard to split his skills. Those kinds of players are gold to you because they help the balance of the side.”
