Former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Sanju Samson should be selected over Rishabh Pant in T20Is.
Pant has struggled for form in the shortest format in recent appearances, according to Jaffer.
Wasim Jaffer on Rishabh Pant
Sanju Samson made a rare start in the first One-Day International between India and New Zealand, but the Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain was again benched despite having scored 36 runs in the previous match. Shikhar Dhawan, the team’s captain, added Deepak Chahar and Deepak Hooda to the starting lineup so that Hooda would be India’s sixth bowling option.
Samson was anticipated to enter the starting lineup following his impressive performance in Auckland. After the New Zealand series, India will play two Tests and three ODIs in Bangladesh, but Samson won’t be there. Test match veteran Rishabh Pant is having trouble in white ball cricket, yet he still makes the team despite this.
Wasim Jaffer stated that although Samson’s position in the ODI team is still up in the air, given his recent performance, he should be given regular opportunities in T20Is.
“I feel that in T20 cricket, it is important to give Samson the preference. With Rishabh Pant, we have seen that he has been inconsistent while batting in the middle order. India tried him as an opener, but couldn’t get the desired results,” he said.
“I believe that Samson should be given a prolonged run in T20 cricket at the very least. In ODIs, the team management is forced to drop him in order to accommodate an all-rounder,” he added.
Wasim Jaffer continued by urging the management of the team to support Rishabh Pant in 50-over cricket, noting that the player has excelled in the format. In ODI cricket, he thinks Pant ought to be India’s go-to wicketkeeper.
“Rishabh Pant’s form in ODIs has been very good. He has been averaging close to 50 in the format lately. This was why the team management backed him over Sanju Samson. I believe that Pant should definitely be the first choice in ODIs,” he said.
