T20 World Cup 2024: Has Sanju Samson Jumped Ahead in Queue For Wicketkeeper Slot in Indian Squad?

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Team India is likely to announce their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 either in the end of April or May 1, which is ICC's deadline for teams to reveal their preliminary squads for the show-piece tournament in USA and the Caribbean.

ICC's cut-off date for submission of teams is May 1, but every participating team will get a chance to change players in their initial squad till May 25. Teams like India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa could use performances at the ongoing IPL 2024 to select their squads.

Although Australia, New Zealand and South Africa may pick players not part of the IPL, India will definitely make their decision based on the players' performance in the lucrative league. The race to land a wicketkeeping spot may go right down to the wire.

But one player who has made a case for himself in the fight for a wicketkeeper's slot in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 is Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson.

In IPL 2024, Samson has amassed 246 runs including 3 fifties in the five innings at a strike rate of 157.69 so far batting at number three for the Royals. His numbers aside, the way he has handled pressure in most situations stands out.

The 29-year-old Kerala batter had missed out on his first World Cup chance last year in the ODI World Cup squad after KL Rahul bolted his way back into the side. However, Samson has definitely jumped ahead of the pack and made a case for his selection in the India T20 World Cup squad.

Who is likley to be Team India's wicketkeeper at the T20 World Cup 2024?

Samson is competing with the likes of Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma, Dhruv Jurel and the fit-again Rishabh Pant for possibly two wickeeper slots in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be held in June 2024.

As it stands, Samson leads the race in terms of batting contributions followed by Pant, who has scored 153 runs including 2 fifties in 5 innings at a strike rate of 154.54. Rahul has 1 fifty in his aggregate of 126 runs in 4 innings at a strike rate of 128.57.

Kishan, who is no longer part of the BCCI central contract, has 92 runs from 4 innings at a strike rate of 170.37 with the best score of 42. Jitesh Sharma has scored 77 runs in 5 innings at a strike rate of 135.08.

Jurel, who has probably cemented his spot as the wicketkeeper in the Test squad, has rarely got a chance to bat, and not kept wickets in the IPL 2024 as Samson takes the gloves for Royals.

In terms of wicketkeeping stats, Jitesh leads the rest of the pack with 8 dismissals so far followed by Pant and Samson, who both have 5 dismissals each. Rahul has 4 dismissals, while Kishan has 1 for an underperforming Mumbai Indians team.

So, as things stand, Samson and Pant are likely to be the two wicketkeepers that get on the plane for the T20 World Cup in two months time. However, Rahul and the rest will look to make a case for themselves in the next two weeks.

How do Team India's potential wicketkeepers compare in IPL 2024?