With a belligerent 77 not out off 33 deliveries, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson not only ensured that his team is more or less through to the IPL 2024 playoffs, but he made a powerful statement roughly two days removed from the announcement of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 Squad. And his celebration after hitting the winning runs was his way of telling the selectors that he was staking a claim for that spot. The soft-spoken Samson is generally calm and composed on the field, be it celebrating his team’s win or conceding defeat. Still, after hitting the winning runs against LSG on Saturday, Samson let out a roar with his arms aloft, which was rather uncharacteristic coming from him.Samson has been in terrific form with the bat right from the start of the tournament, and his latest fifty puts him second, behind only Virat Kohli in the Orange Cap list with 385 runs, striking at 161.08.

Has Sanju Samson pipped Rishabh Pant to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in T20 World Cup XI

While there is no shortage of supporters for the Kerala batter, with many former Indian cricketers picking the flamboyant batter in their T20 World Cup pick, what Samson seems to be doing now is giving direct competition for someone thought to be the first choice for wicketkeeper’s slot in India’s playing XI – Rishabh Pant. Pant, returning from a 14-month hiatus from the game owing to injury, has not missed a beat so far in IP 2024, and it looked like it was given that the explosive Delhi batter is going to be the Indian selector’s first choice for the wicketkeeper’s slot. He also has the numbers to prove that – with 371 runs in ten matches, striking at 160.60.

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However, Samson’s latest knock has helped the Kerala batter surpass Pant in terms of numbers, and there are now calls for Samson to be the first-choice keeper and batter in the XI. Interestingly, Samson and Pant are batting in the top order – 3 or 4- presenting a fantastic case to the selectors.

Will Selectors Pick Samson, Pant in the Playing XI for T20 World Cup

While it is now more or less certain that both Pant and Samson will be part of the 15-member squad, ideally, they should; given their current form and performances, the question arises: Can the selectors find a way to include both these maverick batters in India’s T20 World Cup Playing XI? This is a dilemma that the selectors will undoubtedly be grappling with as they finalize the squad.India’s incumbent No.3 Suryakumar Yadav is returning from injury and has had an ok-ish tournament so far – with two ducks and two fifties to his name in six matches and has not looked at his best. In that case, Samson at No.3 and Pant at No.4  is something selectors might be thinking; if not, it is not; there no harm in having that thought process.