It looks like the road to Rishabh Pant’s comeback to the Indian T20I side might be over even before it has begun. The southpaw, who last played in the shortest format at the international level in July 2024, has been miserable in the IPL so far. While there are multiple factors that act as an hinderance for Pant’s return to the national T20I team, his form might make the biggest difference.
Will Pant ever make it back to Indian T20I team?
Pant already faces a steep challenge when it comes to returning to the T20I side in the form of Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel and Ishan Kishan. While both Samson and Jurel were a part of the IND vs ENG T20I series, the southpaw was nowhere near consideration. Well, one can point out that Pant was not in the picture because most of the senior cricketers were rested after a gruelling Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
But the IPL 2025 is considered the audition stage for future selections. Given Pant’s form, at least from what has been seen in the last two games, the chances of him making it back to the side is growing bleaker with each passing day.
The Samson-Jurel-Ishan barrier to Pant’s comeback
In two games so far in IPL 2025, Pant has been dismissed for a 6-ball duck and a 15-run knock off 15 deliveries. Although he was a part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign in 2024, a lot has changed since then. Samson, who finished the previous calendar year as the Indian with most hundreds in T20I, is Pant’s first & foremost barrier in making his T20I comeback. Although he has looked out of form in the two games RR have played so far, he is arguably the first-choice keeper-batter for India when it comes to the shortest format.
Next on the list in Dhruv Jurel. While Samson has faltered, it is Jurel who is pushing the narrative that he isn’t just a Test player by showcasing consistency. After all, he was a part of the team in the series against England earlier in January. His performances in IPL 2025 could only cement his position as a back-up keeper for India in the future.
Ishan Kishan isn’t too far behind as well. The southpaw made a bold statement with his 106-run knock in his very first game for SRH in IPL 2025. A golden duck in the very next match will surely hurt his chances but he is in prime position to contend for a role in the Indian team in the future.
| Player | Matches | Runs |
| Rishabh Pant | 2 | 15 |
| Dhruv Jurel | 2 | 103 |
| Ishan Kishan | 2 | 106 |
Pant’s form a worry?
Pant had a good run in the T20 World Cup after making his comeback following the horrific accident he was involved in. The seeds of his comeback were sown in IPL 2024, He scored 446 runs from 13 matches, averaging 40.55. This saw the southpaw storm his way into the T20I side for the WC.
He didn’t disappoint in the USA and the Caribbean as well, as he scored 171 runs in 8 innings. He also managed to score 49 and 2* in his last two T20I innings.
However, he has been poor with the bat since then. He failed to deliver in the Test series against Australia. Following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he was benched throughout the Champions Trophy as well.
With not a lot of game time in his bag, the southpaw has failed to deliver in IPL 2025 so far. The Rs 27 crore-buy now faces an uphill task in proving his worth and make himself worthy of being considered for what looks like an unlikely T20I comeback.
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