Gautam Gambhir looking at Rishabh Pant if Sanju Samson fails to deliver before T20 World Cup

Sanju Samson is currently the first choice keeper in T20Is under Gautam Gambhir's coaching.

In the latest development, the Indian management might be looking at Rishabh Pant if Sanju Samson consistently fails to deliver in the shortest format of the game. Currently, the Kerala-born star is the first-choice keeper, having done extremely well under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy. However, ever since he has been shifted to the middle order, Samson’s stocks have crumbled down.

Only yesterday, Samson was given a golden chance to bat at number three. Suryakumar demoted himself as Samson joined Abhishek Sharma early in the powerplay against Australia in Melbourne. However, Samson looked all at sea. In the four balls that Samson faced, he was troubled by pace, bounce, and movement off the surface. He was undone by Nathan Ellis, who trapped him in front before Samson wasted a review and went back to the pavilion.

Rishabh Pant to replace Sanju Samson?

While Samson was unfairly moved down in the batting position at the Asia Cup, his days might be numbered if Telecom Asia Sport’s reports are true. According to them, the Gautam Gambhir-led management wants Pant to be an all-format keeper. Moreover, Samson’s form has been a major cause of worry.

So far this year in T20Is, Samson’s tally of 185 runs across 10 innings looks utterly poor. What’s more concerning is that he has operated at a strike rate of 120.91 in this period, his lowest in any calendar year.

“Under Gautam Gambhir’s results-driven approach, consistent performances will be the key to survival. Unless Samson produces impactful knocks in the coming series, he risks slipping further down the pecking order as the Indian team builds toward a more settled and aggressive core for the World Cup,” an insider said to Telecom Asia Sport.

Sanju Samson T20I stats

Where does Pant stand in T20I pecking order?

Rishabh Pant has made his much-awaited return to cricket after he fractured his toe in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in July. He underwent surgery and rehab but has now entered competitive cricket by captaining India A in a two-game unofficial Test series against South Africa A.

While he is the vice-captain of the Indian Test team, Pant is far behind in the pecking order when it comes to T20Is. He last played a T20 international back in July 2024. Since then, India have persisted with Samson, with Dhruv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma being backups.

While India may wish to include Pant in the scheme of things, it would be unfair on all the three aforementioned keepers. While Jitesh and Jurel haven’t been given opportunities to prove their mettle, Samson was shifted to middle order to accommodate Shubman Gill. Also, Pant’s T20I stats of 1209 runs at an average of 23.25 and an SR of 127.26 don’t boast confidence.