Sanju Samson recorded scores of 5, 40, 106, and 45 in four Duleep Trophy innings. He smashed a blistering 95 ball century for India D against India B in the third round match, and then followed it up with yet another quickfire 45 in the second innings, helping his side secure a 257-run victory.
Sanju Samson is likely to retain his spot in India's T20I squad while Rishabh Pant could be rested for the white ball series against Bangladesh, starting on October 6. Jitesh Sharma is currently leading the race for the second wicketkeeper slot, outpacing Ishan Kishan.
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Indian Selectors to Pick Sanju Samson ahead of Ishan Kishan for Bangladesh T20 Series (Reports) pic.twitter.com/JchZCUPnpu
— Rajesh Khichar (@imrajeshkhichar)
According to Cricbuzz, Samson would retain his place in the India T20I squad despite his poor showing in the last series in Sri Lanka. The Rajasthan Royals captain recorded back-to-back ducks in his last two outings. However, the Kerala cricketer gave a good account of himself in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy, where he smashed 196 runs from two matches.
Samson, who was initially not included in the Duleep Trophy squad, made the team because of injury to Kishan. The 29-year-old recorded scores of 5, 40, 106, and 45 in four innings. He smashed a blistering 95 ball century for India D against India B in the third round match, and then followed it up with yet another quickfire 45 in the second innings, helping his side secure a 257-run victory.
Despite his impressive showings in the Duleep Trophy, Samson was not included in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup. Selectors opted for Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel as the two wicketkeepers in the Rest of India squad. Kishan, also scored a century in his first match of Duleep Trophy, but the Jharkhand cricketer could only manage scores of 1, 5, and 17 in the subsequent innings.
India secured a comprehensive 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai. Rishabh Pant made a memorable return to Test cricketer since the horrific car accident in December 2022, scoring 39 and 109 at MA Chidambaram Stadium. With India set to play nine more matches in the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, the 26-year-old is likely to be rested for the upcoming T20Is.
India will play three T20Is against Bangladesh next month, starting with the first match in Gwalior on October 6. The second T20I will be played at Arun Jaitley Stadium on October 9, while the penultimate match of the series will take place in Hyderabad on October 12.
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