India is preparing for three T20Is with Afghanistan. This is their last T20 international match before the T20 World Cup in June. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are back on the T20I team, sparking discussions about India’s batting order in the shortened game.
People are also curious about who will take over as wicketkeeper in the absence of Ishan Kishan. Will Jitesh Sharma or Sanju Samson win the team’s confidence?
India may want a wicketkeeper who can close off an innings, much as Dinesh Karthik did during the 2022 T20 World Cup. This series may determine whether of the aforementioned pair is higher up the ladder.
In light of this, let’s try to address some important points in the Jitesh Sharma vs. Sanju Samson argument:
1. Recent form
Sanju Samson wasn’t part of India’s Twenty20I plans for a time, but in Gqeberha, he struck an incredible hundred in the One-Day International format against South Africa. It was also his maiden hundred for his country, and many in the cricket community believe it has the potential to change his trajectory.
However, Jitesh Sharma did make a memorable cameo in Raipur’s match against Australia. He did, however, lose out on two fantastic chances to get another significant knock under his belt—one against South Africa and the other against Australia in Bengaluru.
2. Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma T20I record
To put it in the simplest format possible, Sanju Samson has always been a player who makes a lot of promises but falls short of meeting expectations. He has been in and out of the Indian Twenty20 international team, having had support even before to the emergence of players like as Suryakumar Yadav.
Though Sanju Samson took on the closer’s task in the previous year’s West Indies games, his success was limited. His average in 24 T20Is is merely 19.68, with a strike rate of 133.57.
On the other hand, Jitesh Sharma has gained recognition as one of the top closers in our nation. This is due to his enduring success in domestic T20 matchups and his IPL stint with the Punjab Kings. His nearly 150 career T20 strike rate shows the significant influence he’s exerted.
Even though Jitesh has only scored 69 runs in seven Twenty20 Internationals thus far, he has done it at a 150 strike rate. In case the Men in Blue are searching for a No. 6 who can hold wickets, his propensity to strike strongly from the first ball might be just what they need.
3. Final verdict
After making his debut at the Asian Games, Jitesh Sharma hasn’t exactly enjoyed a lengthy run of games and has had to wait a long time to obtain playing time. Even though Jitesh hasn’t scored as many runs as he could have, he has displayed bravery, something the Men in Blue would desire in their T20I squad.
Classy hitter Sanju Samson is better placed in the top order. As he bats in the top four for his IPL team, the Rajasthan Royals, it may be difficult to expect him to finish games consistently.
Given the current squad’s selection for the match against Afghanistan, the wicketkeeper would probably have to bat behind players like Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma in the bottom middle order. Because of this, Jitesh is a greater potential than Sanju Samson right away.
