IND vs PAK: Rishabh Pant finally breaks silence on rumors of rift with Sanju Samson

India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant opened up about his relationship with Sanju Samson ahead of the game against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. He said that he shares a good friendship with Sanju and they respect each other a lot.

Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson are the two keepers who are in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. The duo got selected into the team based on their sensational performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for their respective franchises.

Rishabh Pant played some incredible knocks in the league for Delhi Capitals and scored 446 runs, at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 155 in the 13 games that he played. He was the leading run-getter for his team in the tournament.

On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson scored 531 runs to his name at a strike rate of around 153. He also slammed 5 half-centuries. He ended the tournament as the 5th leading run-getter and guided his team to the playoffs.

It’s fair to say that there was competition between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson for a place in the Indian team for the World Cup during the IPL. Both the keepers were in contention along with KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, and Ishan Kishan.

However, both Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson looked a class apart from the others and were included in the team. Over the years there have been a lot of talks about the duo not gelling well with each other due to their place in the Indian team.

However, Rishabh Pant has now clarified all. The keeper-batter stated that Sanju Samson is very chill and relaxed and they share a great bond. He admitted that there have been lots of talks about them on social media but they don’t focus on them and admire each other. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he stated:

“We have a very good friendship, Sanju is chill and relaxed, as you know a lot of things go around social media but individually we don’t focus on these things and we are teammates - we admire and respect each other a lot.”

Rishabh Pant to play a vital role for his team in the game against Pakistan

Rishabh Pant has been preferred over Sanju Samson in the Indian XI in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The keeper-batter has been assigned a role to bat at No.3 and he has done tremendously well for the team so far in the tournament.

Rishabh Pant started the tournament on high as he slammed a vital half-century in the warmup game against Bangladesh. Next, he played a sensational innings for the team in the game against Ireland. Despite the pitch being tough to bat, he oozed his with the bat and scored an unbeaten 36 runs to take his team home.

Rishabh Pant has looked in great touch in the ongoing IPL 2024. He will be playing a vital role for his team in the game against Pakistan. A lot would be dependent on him in the game, which takes place on 9th June at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.