Sanju Samson, who has 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 have announced their 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, with Rishabh Pant chosen as the wicketkeeper-batter over Sanju Samson.
Sanju Samson, who has 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.
Sunil Gavaskar, in an interview with India Today, felt that it was not fair to compare Sanju Samson with Rishabh Pant.
According to him, though Samson has been in great form and scoring plenty of runs, the difference between them is that Pant can change the game and his left-handed batting gives him an edge.
Gavaskar also acknowledged that Pant is likely the stronger wicketkeeper, even if Samson might be the better batter.
“Very tough because the man has been scoring hundreds and hundreds of runs. There is no excuse to leave him out. But he was pitted against Rishabh Pant, who we all know can be a game-changer. Plus Pant is a left-hander and he is probably the better wicketkeeper, although he might not be the better batter than Samson,” Gavaskar said.
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 reassured that Samson shouldn’t feel disheartened, as Indian cricket fans appreciate and respect his achievements.
“Pant can change the game perhaps a little more than Samson and that’s reason why Samson missed out. But Samson must not feel dejected because all Indian cricket lovers will have 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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