The Indian Cricket Team is ready for their opening game of the ICC T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma and Co will be looking for a good start as they take on Ireland in their first game. But as things stand for Team India, Sanju Samson might have to again warm the benches. India’s crowed middle order will provide no place for Samson.
Sanju Samson didn’t fair well in India’s only warm-up match. The Men in Blue played their one and only warm-up match ahead of the start of the tournament against Bangladesh. In that game, Samson opened the innings for India alongside skippet Rohit Sharma.
But the Rajasthan Royals failed to impress his fans. He stayed on the crease for 6 balls before being dismissed for 1 run. On the other hand, it will be Rishabh Pant who will don the gloves behind the stumps. Pant not only hit a stunning fifty, he kept wickets well, thereby effectively stealing the keeper’s place from Samson.
No Place for Sanju Samson
There are quite a few factors that are going against Sanju Samson. Despite getting a call-up in the squad, Samson won’t be a regular in India Playing XI. It can effectively said that Sanju has been kept in the squad as the second fiddle to Rishabh Pant as the second keeper in the team.
Rishabh Pant’s blazing fifty in the warm-up match was enough for the destructive southpaw to secure his place in the team. Not only with the bat, Pant is now the designated keeper of Team India in the ICC mega tournament.
More on T20 WC
Sanju Samson had a stellar IPL 2024 for Rajasthan Royals. The ace batter promoted himself up the order to bat at 3, but in National colours that won’t be the case. India has a strong top order comprising of the likes of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.
Thus, there is no provision to incorporate the likes of Sanju Samson in the team for ICC T20 World Cup. India’s top order is filled to it’s brim, which has resulted in ace opener Shubman Gill being reduced to a traveling reserve.
Ideally, there is also no provision for Samson down the order with Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube all vying for a spot. Even then, the trio are ahead of Samson in the picking order. Should Rishabh Pant or someone from the middle order gets injured, only then can Samson get his place in the team.
