Sanju Samson or Rishabh Pant in India Playing 11 for T20 World Cup? Gautam Gambhir makes his choice clear

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Sanju Samson or Rishabh Pant in India Playing 11 for T20 World Cup? The question has been popping up in everyone's mind ahead of the ICC showpiece event which starts from June 2 in the USA and the West Indies.

Rishabh Pant, who returned to action with IPL 2024 after a 14-month-long injury layoff, made his way into India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad as the first choice wicketkeeper-batter. Samson pipped KL Rahul for the other available slot.

Both the players have done well in the ongoing IPL 2024, and have given a major selection headache to the Indian team management. Both the players are among the top ten highest run-scores in the season which conclude on Sunday, May 26.

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has backed Pant over Samson to play in India playing eleven in the T20 World Cup 2024. Explaining his choice, Gambhir said Pant was a natural middle-order and had batted at various positions for the Indian cricket team in the past.

“Both have equal quality. Sanju has amazing quality, and even Rishabh has amazing quality. If I had to pick, I’d probably pick Rishabh Pant because he is a natural middle-order batter. Sanju, if you see in IPL, he has batted at number three. Rishabh has batted at number five, six and seven I think,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda.

“Looking at Team India’s combination, we need the wicketkeeper in that position and not in the top order. So I’d start with Rishabh Pant. Plus, he is a left-hander in the middle-order, which gives you a left hand-right hand combination,” he added.

Samson, the captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), has scored 486 runs in 12 matches at an average of 60.75, and a strike rate of 158.30. The right-hand batter has hit five fifties this season. Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Pant, on the other hand, has scored 446 runs at an average of 40.54, and a strike rate of 155.40. He has three fifties to his name.