The recent announcement of the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has spotlighted the inclusion of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, credited to their stellar performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Both players secured positions in the 15-member roster for the upcoming global event, yet only one will seize the coveted spot behind the stumps in the playing XI.
Gambhir said: “While Pant has batted in the middle order in IPL, Sanju has batted in the top order. Pant being a left-hander batter can bring variety to the team’s middle order.”
Amidst speculations, Gautam Gambhir, the current mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders, voiced his preference with clarity. While acknowledging Samson’s versatility as a potential No. 4 or No. 5 batter, Gambhir asserted Pant’s innate suitability for the wicketkeeper-batsman role, thus tipping the scales in his favour over the Rajasthan Royals captain.
Gautam Gambhir remarks: “Whoever plays, I think we should back that player”
Ganbhir added: “Looking at Team India’s combination, we need the wicketkeeper in that position and not in the top order. But again, if they see that Sanju can score more runs at number six or seven, they could go with him as well. Whoever plays, I think we should back that player.”
Gambhir openly acknowledged Samson’s superior consistency with the bat throughout this IPL season, underlining that Samson would be the obvious choice over Pant if this criterion were given precedence. In the league campaign, Samson has outshone Pant as a batter, amassing 486 runs in 12 matches for RR, compared to Pant’s 446 runs in 13 matches for DC.
India’s team roster comprises Rohit Sharma as captain and Hardik Pandya as vice-captain, alongside players including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper, Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohd. Siraj. Additionally, the reserves include Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan.
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