T20 World Cup 2024: Sanju Samson to be India's first-choice wicketkeeper; KL Rahul to be dropped - Report

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season nears its end, the focus has shifted towards the selection of India's T20 World Cup squad. Following the IPL, India will compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) in June.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is poised to unveil India’s 15-player squad for the 20-over competition, with the deadline set for May 1. Before the T20 World Cup squad announcement, debate is underway regarding India's first-choice wicketkeeper batter and backup option.

Sanju Samson has been in outstanding form for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the ongoing IPL 2024. The RR skipper has impressed with both batting and wicketkeeping. Samson is competing with Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul for Team India's wicketkeeper-batter slot for the prestigious tournament.

Sanju Samson Likely To Be The First-Choice Wicketkeeper

As per an ESPNCricinfo report, Sanju Samson is likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper. The selectors are expected to favor Samson over Pant due to his superior proficiency against spin. Jitesh Sharma's form and KL Rahul's batting at the top of the order have aided Samson's candidacy.

“The IPL, though, has served to prove the fitness of Rishabh Pant, who had been out of cricket since his horrific car accident in December 2022. Sanju Samson, however, is likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper, as India needs a spin-hitter to pair with their top three, who tend to get stuck against spin. Also, Jitesh Sharma's form hasn't been great, and KL Rahul has been batting at the top of the order, which is crowded already,” a report by ESPNCricinfo said.

Sanju Samson debuted for India in T20Is in July 2015 against Zimbabwe. The right-handed batter has scored 374 runs in 25 T20I matches at an average of 18.7 and a strike rate of 133.1. The Kerala-born cricketer has not yet represented the India national cricket team in any ICC event.

Sanju Samson's Performance In IPL 2024

Sanju Samson, batting at No. 3 for the Rajasthan Royals, has scored 385 runs in nine matches with an impressive average of 77 and a strike rate of 161.08, including four half-centuries. Samson is in the fourth spot in the batting charts, behind Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Sai Sudharsan.

Rahul is the fifth-highest run-scorer, scoring 378 runs with an average of 42.00 and a strike rate of around 144, with four fifties. Pant is in the sixth spot, scoring 371 runs in 10 matches at an average of 46.37 and a strike rate of 160.60, including three fifties, with his highest score being 88*.

India’s likely ICC T20 World Cup 2024 squad

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan/Mohammed Siraj

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh to be included in India squad; Tilak Varma has outside chance