Indian wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson is set to play his first T20 World Cup in June after being selected for the 15-member squad for the marquee tournament, which will be held in the USA and West Indies. Having been inconsistent and only occasionally appearing in previous matches, Samson shone in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). He delivered strong performances for Rajasthan Royals (RR). With 385 runs from nine matches at an impressive strike rate of 161.08, he surpassed KL Rahul in the selection race for the T20 World Cup and joined Rishabh Pant as the second wicketkeeper for India.
However, this selection is just the beginning for Samson. He will face more challenges as India set to begin their campaign at the tournament. It remains to be seen whether the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter will secure a spot in India’s star-studded middle order, which includes Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. While this will likely be a hot topic at the press conference with Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar on April 2 following the squad selection. However, he isn’t too bothered at the moment. For the RR captain, his immediate goal is to excel in the IPL and lead his team to victory.
When asked by Star Sports if he has a preferred batting position for the upcoming world tournament, Samson replied, "That's a very tricky question. We definitely were thinking about it; everyone is thinking about where Sanju will bat and all. But I think it's also vital for the team to try and win the IPL. Right now, winning the IPL should be our only focus," Samson said.
Under Samson’s leadership, the RR are performing well in the ongoing season of IPL 2024, currently leading the table with eight victories in nine games and nearly securing a playoff spot.
Notably, the RR are all set to take on Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 2 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad. Currently, Samson is the top run-scorer for his team followed by Riyan Parag and England’s Jos Buttler.
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