The Contenders for India’s T20 World Cup Squad
As India’s cricketing ecosystem shifts its focus to the One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2023, the up-and-coming cricket stars have been given a stage to showcase their prowess in the shorter T20 format. Throughout the year, various young talents have seized their opportunities to don the blue jersey, demonstrating formidable skills and tenacity. These young players have managed to secure their spots in the team, asserting their existence even as first-choice players make their comebacks, with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.
Players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma, and Rinku Singh have embraced their chances and delivered consistently. They have adopted and excelled at the modern brand of T20 cricket, which has become synonymous with aggression, innovation, and resilience.
IPL: The Key to World Cup Selection
Despite the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the likely determinant of who makes it into the final T20 World Cup cut, several of these youngsters have made a compelling case for their inclusion in the national squad. Rinku, Jitesh, and even Jaiswal have shown glimpses of the talent and performance levels required at the international stage.
Sanju Samson: The X-Factor, Says Suresh Raina
Yet, it is not among these names that former India batter Suresh Raina anticipates finding the X-factor for India’s T20 World Cup campaign. Raina has set his eyes on Sanju Samson, a dynamic player who recently marked his return to the T20 side with a maiden international century batting at number three in the ODI series against South Africa.
Prior to the first T20I against Afghanistan, Raina painted Samson as an exceptional T20 batter and proclaimed his potential for future captaincy. Drawing attention to Samson’s century against South Africa, Raina was full of admiration for Samson’s aptitude on the field and the awareness that makes him captaincy material.
“We have some very good options for the wicketkeeper-batter role – like KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Pant whenever he returns to fitness,” Raina shared in his conversation with Sports18. However, Raina’s preference for Sanju in the middle-order is telling of his belief in Samson’s wide range of shots and his ability to handle pacers effectively.
Raina hoped that Samson would continue his impressive form into the IPL, further strengthening his case before the selectors finalize the squad for the T20 World Cup. With the series against Afghanistan ongoing, Raina viewed it as a prime opportunity for Samson to solidify his position as a crucial component in India’s World Cup ambitions.
Samson’s Place in the Playing XI
Despite the high praise from Raina, Samson narrowly missed out on selection in the playing XI against Afghanistan, as the likes of Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma were preferred, owing to the absence of established stars like Virat Kohli. Nonetheless, with the Indian team experimenting with various combinations and looking to assess all options, it is likely that Samson may get his chance in the subsequent matches.
As Team India evaluates its pool of talent, exploring every contender’s potential and utility in the team, the run-up to the T20 World Cup becomes an intriguing landscape of opportunity and competition. Sanju Samson, with endorsements from cricketing stalwarts like Suresh Raina, could very well be a defining factor in India’s quest for T20 glory.
