'Rishabh Pant will miss out': Sanju Samson declared India’s first-choice keeper in T20Is

Former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar stated that Rishabh Pant might struggle to secure a spot in India's playing XI for the upcoming T20I series against England. Sanjay Bangar highlighted that Sanju Samson has almost cemented his role as the wicketkeeper-batter for India in the shortest format.

India is set to play five T20Is against England, with the first match scheduled for January 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Following the T20I series, the two teams will compete in a three-match ODI series starting February 6. Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson will compete for the wicketkeeper role in the team.

Sanju Samson Has Taken the Chances with Both Hands – Sanjay Bangar

During a discussion on the Star Sports show Follow the Blues, Sanjay Bangar opened up about Rishabh Pant's place in India's playing XI. Bangar said that it will be challenging to accommodate two players in that role, with Sanju Samson performing brilliantly, which could lead to Pant missing out.

"Based on the evidence of the last series, because there is one place for a wicketkeeper-batter, and if a wicketkeeper-batter in Sanju Samson has taken the chances with both hands and performed with such magnitude, it's very hard to have two wicketkeeper-batters in the slot," he replied.

"If he is slated to bat in the top three, then certainly yes, but at No. 5 or No. 6, even though he was part of the T20 World Cup winning squad and it was his intelligence which led to that breakthrough for the Indian team, that is the level of competition at this moment in T20 cricket that he may just have to miss out," Bangar added.

Sanju Samson has been excellent in T20I cricket. Samson scored three centuries as an opener in his last five T20I innings. Sanju Samson scored 111 runs off 47 balls in the final T20I against Bangladesh, followed by a 107-run knock in the first T20I against South Africa and an unbeaten 109 in the series finale.

Have plenty of left-handers in the squad as well" – Sanjay Bangar

The former India all-rounder said that Rishabh Pant could not find a place in the XI with Tilak Varma and other left-handed batters in the squad. He pointed out that the advantage of being a left-hander is no longer as significant a factor.

"With Tilak Varma also being a left-hander who performed so well, whether that left-hander thing also comes into the equation goes away slightly because you have plenty of left-handers in the squad as well," Bangar observed.

He Will Definitely Be in My Squad – Deep Dasgupta

In the same discussion, Deep Dasgupta stated that he would include Rishabh Pant in his squad. However, he mentioned that Pant might not make it to the playing XI. He said that Pant's best position in T20Is is likely in the top three or four, but he has often batted at positions lower in the format.

"He will definitely be in my squad, not necessarily in the playing XI, because he is someone I believe his best position in this format is in the top three or four. He has generally been playing at positions four to six, whether it's in the IPL or for India," Dasgupta said.

Rishabh Pant has scored 359 runs at an average of 22.43 in 19 T20I innings while batting in the top three. In contrast, he has scored 850 runs at a slightly better average of 23.61 from 47 T20I innings when batting at No. 4 or lower.

Also read: Steve Smith, Kane Williamson reject participation in PSL 2025 draft; England stars also unavailable