Rishabh Pant vs Sanju Samson - who should be India's first-choice wicketkeeper for 2024 T20 World Cup?

Team India have picked two wicketkeeper-batters in Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson for the ongoing ICC Men's 2024 T20 World Cup, being played in the West Indies and the United States. Pant made a comeback to competitive cricket during the recently concluded Indian Premier League season, having recovered from injuries he suffered in a car crash in December 2022. Samson won a spot after his excellent exploits with the willow in IPL 2024.

Leading Delhi Capitals (DC), Pant hammered 446 runs in 13 matches at an average of 40.55 and a strike rate of 155.40, with three half-centuries. The 26-year-old smashed 88* off only 43 balls against Gujarat Titans (GT), a knock that featured five fours and eight sixes - a typically aggressive Pant innings.

Speaking of Samson, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain clobbered 531 runs in 15 matches at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47, with five half-centuries. The 29-year-old's best score of 86 came off 46 balls against Delhi Capitals, an innings featuring eight fours and six sixes.

As Team India get ready to begin their 2024 World Cup campaign with a match against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 5, we analyze who should be India's first-choice keeper-batter for the ICC event.

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Rishabh Pant has the edge over Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson during the ODI series in South Africa in December 2023 (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Both Pant and Samson did exceptionally well in the IPL and deserve their respective spots in the 15-member Team India squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, when it comes to picking the first-choice keeper, Pant definitely has the edge over Samson on a number of counts.

Neither of the two has a great record in T20Is. Pant has 987 runs to his name from 56 innings at an average of 22.43 and a strike rate of 126.37. On the other hand, Samson has 374 runs in 22 innings at an average of 18.70 and a strike rate of 133.09. However, being a left-hander, Pant can come in very handy with regard to specific match-ups.

If we look at India's predicted playing XI for the T20 World Cup, they are likely to have only one left-hander in the top five, assuming Yashasvi Jaiswal opens with skipper Rohit Sharma. So, Pant's presence in the middle-order would be crucial for the Men in Blue's fortunes.

Also, the southpaw has more experience than Samson at the international level when it comes to playing on various surfaces. He has tasted plenty of success in red-ball cricket on tricky pitches, where his technique has stood up to the challenge. This experience at the top level definitely gives him the upper hand.

While too much should not be read into the performances of the two players in the warm-up match against Bangladesh in New York, there was a hint for the Men in Blue with regard to which direction they should head in. On one hand, Pant hammered 53 off 32 balls, with the aid of four fours and as many sixes. On the other hand, Samson managed only one off six balls.

The Kerala stumper's struggle was not a one-off. It is no secret that he struggles to get going when conditions are a bit sluggish. With the kind of game that he plays, Samson needs the ball to come on to the bat to be effective more often than not. This is one area where Pant is a lot more versatile. He has also had his struggles on slow surfaces, but has adapted with experience and has become productive.

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Pant alleviated injury concerns in IPL 2024

Rishabh Pant has made an impressive comeback to competitive cricket. (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Under normal circumstances, Pant would have been the first-choice keeper-batter in the Indian squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, following his car accident in December 2022, which kept him out of the game for a prolonged period, there were concerns over his fitness ahead of the IPL.

The Delhi Capitals skipper, however, showed no signs of injury-related woes during the T20 league. More importantly, he excelled with the willow and was also in good rhythm with the gloves in hand. Having proved his form and fitness in the IPL, Pant should be the straightforward choice as the preferred keeper-batter in India's playing XI for the 2024 T20 World Cup.