Is Sanju Samson Better Than Rishabh Pant as Wicketkeeper Batter?

Current Indian cricket is loaded with plenty of talented wicketkeeper batters in their player roster, such as KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Rishabh Pant. There is a topic of much debate among cricket fans about whether Sanju Samson is Better Than Rishabh Pant as a Wicketkeeper Batter in T20I cricket.

Exploring Their Impact: Skillsets and Performance in the T20Is

Both Sanju Samson and Rishabh have made significant contributions to the Indian cricket team with their different skill set and batting styles of the game.

Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson is known for his ability to adapt to various match situations and elegant stroke play. Sanju Samson can play classic shots and also play aggressively when needed. He can stand for a long time at the crease, maintaining calm under pressure, making him a capable and versatile batter in T20Is.

Sanju Samson showcased his talent in many T20 matches, particularly in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with his exceptional batting.

When It comes to wicketkeeping, Saju Samson is always been a standout in shorter formats of the game. His ability to read the batter’s moves and reflect according to them makes him the best wicketkeeper.

Sanju Samson T20I stats

In his T20I career, Sanju Samson has scored 594 runs in 29 innings with a batting average of 22.84, with a personal best T20I score of 111.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is known for his aggressive batting from the middle order and led the Indian team to win many matches. He is the kind of player who can play more cheeky shorts while batting. Rishabh Pant’s fearless approach allows him to change the momentum of the game. Given his style of batting, he is the most qualified batter in T20s.

However, Rishabh Pant made significant improvement in terms of wicketkeeping despite occasional lapses, he bounced back even more strongly and he kept the batters under pressure from behind the stumps with his quick reflexes.

Rishabh Pant T20I Stats

In Rishabh Pant’s T20I career, he scored 1209 runs in 66 innings with a batting average of 23.25 and his best score in T20I is 65 not out.

Conclusion:

However, in the comparison to determine the best wicketkeeper batter, there are several factors come into play, including performance, consistency, adaptability, and quick reflexes. Based on the numbers, player performance, and consistency, Rishabh Pant has a slight edge over Sanju Samson in T20Is, as he played more T20Is and also featured in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 for exceptional cricketing skills.

Sanju Samson’s occasional lapses raised questions about his place in the Indian cricket team, but in a recent match against Bangladesh, he proved his worth by scoring a quick century, if he maintained his momentum, no doubt he would be the superior to any other batters in the world in T20 format.