Sanju Samson, who played 16 ODIs for India, scored a century in his last ODI against South Africa in December 2023. However, he has not been included in the ODI squad since then.
India has announced its 15-man squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy, with Rishabh Pant chosen as the wicketkeeper-batsman over Sanju Samson.
Sanju Samson, who played 16 ODIs for India, scored a century in his last ODI against South Africa in December 2023. However, he has not been included in the ODI squad since then.
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Gavaskar acknowledges Samson’s form but explains Pant selection
Sunil Gavaskar, in an interview with India Today, felt that it was not fair to compare Sanju Samson with Rishabh Pant.
According to him, although Samson has been in great form and has scored a lot of runs, the difference between them is that Pant can change the game and his left-handed batting gives him an advantage.
Gavaskar also acknowledged that Pant is probably the stronger wicketkeeper, even if Samson might be the better batsman.
“Very hard because the man has been scoring hundreds and hundreds of runs. There is no excuse to leave it out. But he faced Rishabh Pant, who we all know can be a game-changer. Also, Pant is left-handed and is probably the better wicketkeeper, though he may not be the better batsman than Samson,” Gavaskar said.
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Gavaskar encourages Samson to stay positive
Sunil Gavaskar highlighted that Rishabh Pant’s ability to change the game gives him an advantage over Sanju Samson, which is why Samson missed out.
However, Gavaskar assured that Samson should not feel discouraged as Indian cricket fans appreciate and respect his achievements.
“Pant can change the game maybe a little more than Samson and that’s the reason Samson missed out. But Samson should not feel dejected because every Indian cricket lover will feel sympathy for him for what he has achieved,” Gavaskar added.
Rishabh Pant has played 31 ODIs, scoring 871 runs at an average of 33.50, including 1 century and 5 half-centuries.
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