Ishan Kishan vs Sanju Samson - who should be India's wicketkeeper for the 2023 World Cup if KL Rahul isn't fit?

As KL Rahul faces a race against time to get fit ahead of the 2023 World Cup, the Indian team may need to start planning for the possibility that the keeper-batter is ruled out of the tournament.

While there are quite a few promising talents who will challenge for the wicket-keeper's spot in limited-overs and Test cricket in the future, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are the front-runners to replace KL Rahul as India's first-choice wicket-keeper if he's not fit.

Ishan Kishan seems to be favored more by the Indian camp and recently made his Test debut. Meanwhile, Samson has played only 11 ODIs, and despite averaging 66, he usually features as a back-up option.

Let's look at which of the two players would better replace Rahul.

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Batting record in ODI cricket

Ishan Kishan scored a terrific 210 against Bangladesh in December 2022.

Ishan Kishan has played 14 ODIs, scoring 510 runs at an average of 42.50, and most of these runs came when he opened the batting or batted at No. 3. His best knock was his whirlwind 210 against Bangladesh, but if you take that one innings out of the equation, his stats make for worse viewing.

In the remaining 13 matches, he has only 300 runs at an average of 27.27, and it's also important to note that he was the designated keeper in only five of these 13 matches. In eight matches played in India, Kishan has made 184 runs at a sub-par average of 26.28.

In comparison, Sanju Samson has much better numbers to his name. He has kept wickets in all but one of the games he's featured in and is used to batting in the middle order, ranging from No. 4 to No. 6 or even 7. He has scored 330 runs in 10 innings at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 104.76.

In three matches played in India, Samson is yet to be dismissed and has scored 118 runs at a stellar strike rate of 114.56.

In this essential criterion, it's clear that Samson has been the better ODI batter and also fills the positional requirement much better than Ishan Kishan does.

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Who is the better keeper?

Sanju Samson keeping wickets ahead of Ishan Kishan when they were in the same playing XI suggests that the former is viewed as a better gloveman.

This is a tougher question to answer as both players keep wickets for their respective IPL teams, although it's notable that Samson does so ahead of another recognized world-class keeper Jos Buttler.

Ishan Kishan was handed his Test debut as a wicketkeeper-batter, and that's a sign that the Indian team management trusts his glovework. And while he didn't have a good introduction to Test cricket, dropping quite a few catches, there seems to be a firm belief that he will get better.

However, Ishan Kishan not keeping wickets in nine out of 14 matches doesn't bode well for him. Especially, in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in August 2022 when Samson and Ishan Kishan were both in the playing XI, it was Sanju Samson who took the gloves.

This suggests that Samson is ahead of Ishan Kishan in terms of his glovework in ODIs, although not by a huge margin.

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Final verdict

There have been plenty of experts that have advocated for Sanju Samson to receive more opportunities in limited-overs cricket, and it's sad he hasn't gotten to play enough ODIs despite having such a good record. His positive approach to the game and good range of shots against both pace and spin makes him a quality option to have in the middle order and bat at No. 5 or No. 6.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are expected to be the Indian openers, and Ishan Kishan is clearly a backup option as an opening batter. If KL Rahul was fit, and India were looking only for a backup keeper, including Ishan Kishan in the squad makes sense as he also fills the role of a backup opener.

However, when we're looking for someone to take Rahul's place in the team, Sanju Samson's numbers, batting position, and playing style make him a better option.

Final verdict: Sanju Samson to be India's first-choice wicket-keeper for the 2023 World Cup if KL Rahul isn't fit.