IND vs IRE: Rishabh Pant vs Sanju Samson! Sunil Gavaskar solves India's wicketkeeper dilemma for T20 World Cup 2024 with big statement

Former Indian captain and well-known commentator, Sunil Gavaskar, shared his insights on the wicketkeeper-batter’s choices for Team India's opening fixture against Ireland in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 on Wednesday, June 5, in New York.

The legendary batter believes that Rishabh Pant will secure a spot in India’s playing XI over Sanju Samson for their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland. Notably, Pant and Samson have both been included in India's squad as wicketkeepers for the ongoing global competition.

Pant had an impressive start to the T20 World Cup 2024, scoring a brisk half-century in the warm-up match against Bangladesh on the tough pitch of Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

Sunil Gavaskar favors Rishabh Pant over Sanju Samson for India's T20 World Cup 2024 opener

Batting at number three, the left-handed batter made 53 runs off 32 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes to play a crucial role in India’s 60-run win over Bangladesh on June 1. In contrast, Samson struggled with the bat, scoring just one run off six balls while opening alongside Rohit Sharma.

After the match, Gavaskar pointed out that Pant's superior wicketkeeping skills give him an edge over Samson to be in India’s playing XI against Ireland. Then, Pant's recent form with the bat further strengthens his case for his inclusion in the starting XI.

However, the former Indian skipper admitted that Samson had a strong performance in the IPL 2024, but his recent low scores have tilted the balance in Pant's favor to be included in the playing XI for the India versus Ireland game.

The Little Master stressed that had Samson managed to post a good score on the board in the warm-up game against Bangladesh, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper would have earned a place in India’s playing XI for their first game.

India will look at having Rishabh Pant as the keeper: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports: “Yes, I think simply because if you compare the wicketkeeping abilities then Rishabh Pant is a better wicketkeeper than Samson. We’re not talking about batting here; the batting aspect also comes into play. But, Rishabh Pant in the last few matches has batted really well. On the other hand, Sanju Samson started the IPL season superbly, scored runs at will, hitting the ball to all corners of the ground.”

He added, “In the last two-three matches, he didn’t quite get runs. So, this was an opportunity for him actually the match against Bangladesh. If he had scored about 50-60 then there would have been no question but I do feel that the Indian selection committee will look at having Rishabh Pant as the keeper.”

Notably, Pant and Samson were both in great form with the bat in the recently concluded IPL 2024. Pant emerged as the top run scorer for the Delhi Capitals (DC), amassing 446 runs from 13 innings with the help of three half-centuries at an average of 40.54 and a strike rate of 155.40.

On the other hand, Samson finished as the fifth-highest run scorer in the IPL 2024, amassing 531 runs from 15 innings at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46 with five half-centuries. However, the RR captain struggled in his last four matches, scoring 15, 18, 17, and 10 runs.