Wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan was expected to replace Rishabh Pant in IND vs BAN T20I series, as Pant is likely to rest after the Test matches. However, Kishan's inclusion in Rest of India squad for Irani Cup indicates that he may miss T20Is against Bangladesh.
This raises the question: if Kishan is unavailable, who will step in? Sanju Samson has emerged as the top contender to take over if both Kishan and Pant are absent for T20I series against Bangladesh.
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The three-match T20 series between India and Bangladesh kicks off on October 6, following the conclusion of Irani Cup on October 5.
Given this tight schedule, Ishan Kishan may not be available for at least the first T20. Hence, Sanju Samson is likely to step in as the wicketkeeper for IND vs BAN 1st T20I match.
Both Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are currently in outstanding form. Kishan recently scored a century in Duleep Trophy, while Samson made impressive contributions with scores of 106 and 45 in the same tournament.
Rest of India squad for Irani Cup: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (WK)*, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.
Sanju Samson gets another chance to prove himself in the upcoming IND vs BAN T20I series. The last time he played for India was in T20Is against Sri Lanka in which he flopped badly, experiencing consecutive ducks in two matches.
Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan's last appearance for India in T20Is was back in 2023. In IPL 2024, Kishan managed to score mere 320 runs at an average of 22.86, while Samson had a standout season, finishing with 531 runs.