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The unabating debate on who is worthier of getting the nod in the Indian team between two exciting talents, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson gets more mileage to it after former Kiwi cricketer threw his two cents on the matter. Former Blackcaps fast bowler Simon Doull turned cricket pundit aired his opinion on the Pant vs Samson debate where he draws a contrast between the averages of the two wicketkeeper-batters and believes that the latter merits a place in the team.
"Rishabh Pant's record is a decent sample size. He has played just under 30 (29) games and only averages 35, the strike rate is good. But Sanju in 11 games is averaging 60 something. And I don't think he is any less of a wicketkeeper. I just think he deserves an opportunity as well," Doull said on Cricbuzz.
On the back of his stellar Test cricket success, Pant has always been expected to emulate heroics in white-ball cricket where the Indian team is sorely lacking a wicketkeeper to consolidate the middle order. While Pant's record in Tests remains unmatched, Samson has given a good account of himself in ODIs. Pant has 1,842 runs from 95 matches (29 ODIs and 66 T20Is), with eight fifties and a century. Samson, meanwhile in his limited opportunities than Pant – 27 to be precise in which he has amassed 626 runs, but his average (66) in ODIs dwarfs Pant's (35).
"The Rishabh Pant vs Sanju Samson debate is an interesting one for me. There is so much talk about Rishabh Pant, and how he is the future. But in white-ball formats, he hasn't quite done it. Unbelievable Test player, and he is a shoo-in in Tests as the wicketkeeper-batter, no issue with that? But is he the best white-ball keeper batter? I am not convinced," the 53-year-old pointed out.
However, Pant has on many occasions lost his wicket for low scores and in a toss-up between Pant and Samson, the former has more often than not been ahead in the pecking order. While fans and some former cricketers from the top of their lungs may have been clamouring for Samson to be given a fair crack of the whip, the selectors have backed the southpaw.
In the ongoing ODI series, Samson scored 36 runs from 38 deliveries in the first ODI but was dropped from the second ODI as the team management wanted a bowling option in Deepak Hooda. On the other hand, Pant scored 15 runs from 23 deliveries and still got a chance in the second ODI. It is likely to remain the same in third ODI which will be played on November 30.
