Pant will walk into Indian T20 WC squad if he plays full IPL season: Manjrekar

Story Playback: Rishabh Pant is expected to automatically secure a place in the Indian T20 World Cup 2024 team, provided he is fit and plays throughout the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Presently, Pant is undergoing training at the National Cricket Academy under BCCI's medical team's supervision as he actively recovers from several surgeries following a major mishap.

There were reactions to the announcement of the T20 World Cup 2024 schedule on Star Sports with commendations for Pant's potential return to the team if fully fit. "If Rishabh Pant is fit and participates fully in the upcoming IPL season, he will definitely be included in the Indian team," Star Sports quoted Manjrekar.

Should Pant fail to recover fully ahead of the T20 World Cup, Manjrekar suggested considering Ishan Kishan and Jitesh Sharma as alternatives. Manjrekar further reasoned that having a left-handed keeper who can open the innings would be an asset to the Indian squad in the flagship T20I tournament.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the T20 World Cup's complete schedule on Friday, 5 January. The competition is set to kick off on 1 June and wrap up on 29 June. The inaugural match, USA vs Canada, is appointed to be held in Dallas. The much-anticipated match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for June 9 in New York.

India's schedule is as follows:
India vs Ireland - June 5
India vs Pakistan - June 9
India vs USA - June 12
India vs Canada - June 15

For the first time in the T20 World Cup's history, there will be 20 participating teams. Group stages will comprise four groups, each with four teams. Two top teams from each group will advance to the Super 8 stage, proceeding to the semi-finals and concluding with the finals.