As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson each found a spot thanks to their exemplary performances in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). In the 15-man roster for the global event, only one of them will make the cut in the playing XI to claim the sole spot behind the stumps. Current Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir gave a clear answer when asked about his preferences.
In a chat with SportsKidda, he explained the importance of middle-order batsmen to complement players like Rohit Sharma, saying, “Pant has batted in the middle-order in the IPL, while Sanju has been in the middle-order.” Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli.
“Pant being a left-handed batsman can bring variety to the team’s middle order,” he claimed.
Sanju Samson can also bat at number 4 or 5, but Gambhir feels Pant is the natural choice for that role, giving him an edge over the Rajasthan Royals captain.
“If you look at the composition of the Indian team, we need a wicketkeeper in that position and not in the top order,” he asserted.
Gambhir had no hesitation in admitting that Samson has been the more consistent performer with the bat for Rajasthan in this IPL. If this aspect is considered more, he would get the nod over Pant.
“But if they see that Sanju can score more runs at number six or seven, they might go with him,” the KKR mentor said.
“I think we have to support whoever plays,” he concluded.
In the league campaign, Samson was clearly ahead of Pant as a batsman. Samson has scored 486 runs in 12 matches for RR this season while Pant has scored 446 runs in 13 matches for DC.
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