Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik recently weighed in on the decision to pick Rishabh Pant over Sanju Samson for the Champions Trophy 2025 squad. This choice surprised many fans and experts, especially since Samson has been performing exceptionally well in ODIs and T20Is lately.
Karthik explained that Pant’s left-handed batting style adds a unique dynamic to the team’s lineup. He also mentioned that Samson’s absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 likely influenced the selectors’ decision.
“It was either Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson. They chose Pant mainly because he is a left-hander, which adds a different angle to the batting,” Karthik noted during a discussion on Cricbuzz. He acknowledged that while Samson performed well, not participating in this tournament affected his chances.
Samson has been in stellar form, scoring three centuries in his last six T20I innings and achieving a remarkable century in his latest ODI match against South Africa in December 2023. Over 14 ODI innings, he averages 56.66 with 510 runs at a strike rate of 99.60, which is impressive by any standard, including one hundred and three fifties.
In comparison, Pant has accumulated 871 runs from 31 ODIs, with an average of 33.50, including one century and five fifties. It’s also worth noting that Pant played ahead of Samson during the recent T20 World Cup 2024.
Samson faced criticism from Kerala Cricket Association president Jayesh George for not providing a valid reason for missing Kerala’s training camp prior to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In his most recent T20I against England, he scored 26 runs off 20 balls.
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Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25
