Sanju Samson was picked alongside Rishabh Pant in India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson had a heartwarming reaction on his social media account as he shared an emotional message after his selection in the T20 World Cup squad. The wicketkeeper-batter was picked alongside Rishabh Pant for the biennial event in June; Samson has been in sublime form in IPL 2024 and is currently the highest scorer for Rajasthan Royals.
India’s Sanju Samson celebrates his century with Rinku Singh.(REUTERS)
Expressing joy over his selection, Samson took to Instagram and posted a heartfelt statement in Malayalam, “Viyarpu Thuniyitta Kuppayam,” which means “Shirt stitched of sweat and hard work.” The post reflected the amount of hard work and passion the 29-year-old had poured while coming into this moment.
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A post shared by Sanju V Samson (@imsanjusamson)
Sanju Samson has currently scored 385 runs from 9 matches, including four half-centuries in IPL 2024 and had been in a three-way battle for a place in the squad, alongside Pant and KL Rahul.
Since making his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in 2015, Samson has made scattered appearances, thanks to the presence of consistent wicketkeeper-batters like MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant in the team. Following Pant’s near-fatal car crash in December 2022, Samson made a return to the white-ball setup with particularly consistent appearances in T20Is.
While his record in the shortest format doesn’t inspire much confidence – Samson has scored only 374 runs in 25 matches at an average of 18.70 with just one half-century to his name – his current form in IPL 2024, where his team is currently on the top of the table, played a key role in his selection.
Other WKs at IPL 2024
LSG captain KL Rahul is the fourth-highest run scorer of the tournament with 406 runs in 10 matches at an average of 40.60, with a strike rate of 142.95, with three half-tons. Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, follows the former at the fifth spot with 398 runs at an average of 44.92, with a strike rate of 158.56 and three fifties.
The Kerala-born batter, after cruising ahead of Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul in the race to the WC squad will be surely looking to capitalise on the opportunity at the T20 event in the West Indies and USA in June.
