Rishabh Pant edges Sanju Samson with maverick knock in T20 World Cup starting XI race

India take on Bangladesh in their only warm-up encounter ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 as they look to make experiments and fine-tune their preparations.
 By Darpan Jain Updated: Jun 1, 2024, 22:20 IST
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This knock might have put Pant ahead of Samson for the main event, and the southpaw might start against Ireland a couple of days later.

India take on Bangladesh in their only warm-up encounter ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 as they look to make experiments and fine-tune their preparations. This game also gives them an opportunity to find their ideal combination and a settled XI for the first game against Ireland.

India started the game with a massive test, for they opened with Rohit Sharma and Sanju Samson to test their wicketkeeper batter. However, Samson couldn’t make any impact and struggled throughout his stay at the crease.

He couldn’t last longer, for he faced only six balls and scored only a single run before getting out LBW. While the decision was slightly harsh on the batter, Samson couldn’t do much and had to depart after a struggling knock.

Also Read: WATCH: Rishabh Pant unfurls his range; hits three sixes off Shakib Al Hasan in the warm-up fixture

Samson tried to play his shots, but, unfortunately, all those balls went straight to the fielders and not in the gaps. Consequently, India lost a quick wicket, and Samson failed to impress in the only trial game before the start.

Rishabh Pant impresses with a fifty on his comeback

While the first wicketkeeper batter, Sanju Samson, couldn’t do much in the warm-up fixture, Rishabh Pant, the other wicketkeeper batter, shined brightly in his comeback game for India. It was a practice game, but Rishabh donned the blue jersey after a year and a half.

He was also in good nick, unfurled a range of shots and went on to register a quality fifty. Pant was attacking right from the start and showed encouraging signs against spinners.

Samson did better than Pant against slow bowlers in the IPL 2024, which made him a strong candidate to play ahead of the left-hander. However, Pant was prudent with his shot selection and didn’t show any signs of trouble against the quality spin attack of Bangladesh on his way to a quality half-century in just 32 balls.

This knock might have put Pant ahead of Samson for the main event, and the southpaw might start against Ireland a couple of days later. India tested both their wicketkeeper batters, and Pant looked better-suited to the conditions, unlike Samson, who was nervy throughout his short stay.

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