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As the T20 World Cup 2024 fast approaches, there's a hot debate about who will be India's wicketkeeper. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) will announce the final 15-man squad, led by Rohit Sharma, by the end of April. Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and Jitesh Sharma are all contenders for the wicketkeeping spot in India's T20 World Cup's squad. Adding to the discussion, legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist weighed in with his pick. He believes Rishabh Pant, the captain of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, should be India's first-choice wicketkeeper.
Adam Gilchrist speaking on the Cricbuzz said:
“He has been consistently getting atleast starts, and a couple of nice contributions. He affected this brilliant backhand run out against RR, which was just amazing, Dhoni-like. His last match against GT, he was Man of the Match (Player of the Match), primarily for his wicketkeeping and his captaincy is there, ended up 19* not out. So a wonderful week for him. As I say there is a lot of focus on him, lot of expectations and he has delivered. Without doubt. If the BCCI doesn’t give you one, I will pay for his ticket.”
Gilchrist didn't stop at Pant. He also praised Pant's batting form upon his return from a serious car accident and recovery. Impressed by both Pant's keeping and batting, Gilchrist suggested Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson as a strong choice for the backup wicketkeeper role in the Indian squad.
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Gilchrist further added:
“I will have him in my team, definitely. I think his wicketkeeping is showing physically that he is not held back. His batting is only going to get better and better as he spends more time. I think just that level of maturity that comes with leadership, I have him in there and I think Sanju Samson is probably my back-up at the moment. What I will say is India are so well-blessed with so many talented wicketkeeper-batters”.
Sanju Samson has been leading the charge among wicketkeeper-batsmen with the most runs! The Rajasthan Royals skipper has impressed with his consistent batting, scoring 276 runs in just seven matches. He's been aggressive at the crease too, maintaining a strong strike rate of 155.05 and hitting three half-centuries. While Rishabh Pant has also been in good form with two fifties, Sanju Samson currently holds the edge in terms of total runs.
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