(Reuters) – Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has insisted on being India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman for the Twenty20 World Cup in June, the Indian Premier said. Kumar Sangakkara, coach of the league (IPL) team said.
Samson had been selected in India's 15-man squad for the tournament to be held in the West Indies and the United States from June 1 to 29, but the inclusion of Rishabh Pant meant that the 2007 champions had been selected for the second time. This means that there are options when aiming for the title.
India coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma took note of the match progress as Samson hit 86 off 46 balls as Rajasthan lost by 20 runs to Pant's Delhi Capitals on Tuesday. would have been watching.
Pant scored 15 runs off 13 balls.
“Really, it depends on Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma and how they see this combination. But he (Samson) has made his case so I hope he does well in the World Cup. ,'' Sangakkara told reporters.
Samson has been in good form this season, with his 471 points from 11 matches ranking third behind Virat Kohli (542) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (541). Pant is among the top 10 batsmen with 413 RBIs in 12 games.
Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper and batsman Sangakkara added: “The biggest thing for Sanju this season is that he has become much clearer about the way he bats.”
“At certain stages of the game he seems to lose concentration a little bit, but we've been dealing with that since the past season.
“He changed his mindset about the importance of rest and recovery, rather than just training all the time and being mentally and physically exhausted. Rest is his extraordinary ability.”
Sangakkara said Samson, who has been on the fringes of the Indian squad in recent years, has the qualities to succeed in his first World Cup squad.
“He's a special player and if he's fresh and focused there's nothing he can't do,” he added. “He's a humble, down-to-earth guy…he doesn't use social media much. He tends to really like his privacy and cares about the rest of the group.”
“Apart from talent and skill, these are great qualities. I think he will be exceptional in the group that will be playing at the World Cup.”
(Reporting by Shrivasa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)