Happy Birthday Sanju Samson: How Is RR Skipper A Better T20I Batter Than Pant?

Sanju Samson - (Source:@MufaddalVohra/X.com)Sanju Samson - (Source:@MufaddalVohra/X.com)

On November 11, India's keeper batter Sanju Samson is celebrating his 30th birthday. The right-hand batter is in the form of his life as he recently became the first Indian player to smash back-to-back centuries in T20Is.

Samson, who made his India debut in 2015, has had tough luck finding a place in the starting XI over the years. Samson was either overlooked or was behind in the pecking order, particularly Rishabh Pant, who has cemented his place in the team as the No.1 keeper. 

Nonetheless, 2024 has been a year for Sanju Samson in T20Is as he smashed two T20I centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa. Notably, Samson was a part of the 2024 T20 World Cup winning squad but failed to get a single match. 

Currently, he is auditioning for a regular place in the T20I for the 2026 T20 World Cup as Rishabh Pant is busy preparing for BGT. This article will explain why Samson is a better T20I batter than Rishabh Pant. 

Sanju Samson A Better T20I Batter Than Pant

If we talk about the two players, both have scored runs this year. Shedding light on Sanju's figures, the RR captain has scored 327 runs in 11 matches at an average of 36.33. Meanwhile, Pant has averaged just 27.75 this year in 10 matches he has played, amassing 222 runs. 

This is the first time in his career that Samson has played 10+ T20Is in a single year. His performance has enhanced once he was asked to open and given security of his place in the playing XI irrespective of failures. 

Till the T20 World Cup 2024, Pant was the first-choice, but since then, Gambhir has backed Samson in the opening slot and the RR skipper has not disappointed. Earlier, Samson was benched despite a decent effort and he had to play for survival every time, which is why his IPL performance was different from the one when he represented India.

Sanju A Better Reader Of The Game

Further, Samson plays according to the situation and is a proper and clean hitter of the game. On the other hand, Pant has developed a knack for playing excessive false unorthodox shots in the shortest format of the game, which has often angered the fans and they too complain about Pant not playing according to the situation.

Also, the range of shots that Samson has under his belt is more than Pant, who usually likes to play towards the leg and depends too much on the transfer of weight without foot movement. 

The only area Samson needs improvement is being more consistent as he followed the two centuries with a duck.