Renowned cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has advocated for Sanju Samson‘s inclusion in India’s playing XI for their upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 Group A clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Earlier this week, India left out Samson from their opening match against Ireland in New York.
On June 1, the 29-year-old managed just one run against Bangladesh in India’s only warm-up game ahead of the tournament.
However, Samson had an impressive IPL 2024 season with Rajasthan Royals, scoring over 500 runs in 16 innings at an average of nearly 50 and a strike-rate of 153.46.
Manjrekar prefers Samson over Dube in Indian XI
Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar advocates for including wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson in India’s playing XI for the upcoming Group A match against Pakistan. He suggests Samson as a possible replacement for Shivam Dube if the all-rounder isn’t needed to bowl.
Manjrekar also mentioned that Samson has shown maturity, describing him as the best version of himself at the international level.
“I believe Sanju Samson has finally matured and this is the best Sanju Samson that India will get at the international level,” Manjrekar said in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
Although named as one of India’s primary wicket-keepers for the T20 World Cup 2024, Samson didn’t feature in the opener against Ireland; instead, Rishabh Pant played.
Pant scored an unbeaten 36 runs off 26 balls, guiding India to a comfortable victory in their opening match.
Having secured a win in their first game, India will now face Pakistan at Nassau County International Stadium in New York on June 9.
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