The BCCI announced the India Cricket Team squad for the upcoming IND vs AFG T20I series. While Sanju Samson returns to the T20I side, Jitesh Sharma retains his place. Now essentially it will be Samson vs Jitesh battle for the number 1 keeper for the series against the Pathans.
Ishan Kishan is out of the squad for an extended period. KL Rahul too didn’t get a chance in the team. Therefore it a perfect opportunity for the both the keepers to establish themselves as the number 1 man behind the stumps.
Sanju Samson vs Jitesh Sharma
With the 2024 T20 World Cup on the horizon, India will look for a permanent keeper for the mega tournament. KL Rahul is the standalone keeper in ODIs and Tests in the absence of Rishabh Pant. KS Bharat is the backup in Tests, but T20Is in unchartered territory.
As a result it is extremely crucial for both Samson and Jitesh to establish their mark in the team. Ishan Kishan is a good keeper, but at the current moment since he is not in the team, it up to Samson and Jitesh to prove their worth.
Sanju Samson is an established keeper and has proved his skills both for India and in the IPL for his side Rajasthan Royals. Jitesh on the other hand, after an impressive IPL 2023 was fast-tracked into the India team in the shortest format of the game.
The upcoming 3match T20I series will be a good contesting ground for both the players. Not only both the players are good keepers, they are also good hard hitting batters. But in terms of composure and experience, it is Sanju Samson who has the slighter edge compared to Jitesh Sharma.
IND Squad vs AFG: Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
