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Sanju Samson will be travelling to his maiden T20 World Cup later this month, as he was named in the 15-member squad for the marquee tournament in the Americas. After years of sporadic appearances and inconsistent performances, Samson had his moment in the sun during this year’s Indian Premier League, where he produced strong performances for the Rajasthan Royals. In nine matches, Samson has 385 runs to his name at a blistering strike rate of 161.08; he toppled KL Rahul in the race for T20 World Cup spots, joining Rishabh Pant as India’s second wicketkeeper.
Yet, it was only the first hurdle for Samson. Further challenges await as India kickstart their campaign in the tournament. Will the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter find a place in the middle-order packed with stars like Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube? If yes, where will he bat? While these might be the talking points when Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar address the press conference later on Thursday following the squad selection, Samson isn’t too bothered at the moment.
For the Rajasthan Royals captain, the current priority is to do well in the IPL and lead his time to glory.
“That’s a very tricky question,” Samson told Star Sports when asked if he has a batting position in mind when the marquee global tournament begins.
“We definitely were thinking about it; everyone is thinking about the batting positions… Sanju kahan batting karega and all (where will Sanju bat). But equally, I feel it is also important for the team that they try to win the IPL. As of now, winning the IPL is more important. The players should focus on that goal only,” said Samson further.
Samson’s Rajasthan Royals are currently at the top of the IPL 2024 table, with eight wins in nine matches. They are almost assured of a playoff spot in the tournament; under Samson’s captaincy, RR have been particularly consistent over the past three years. In the 2022 season, the Royals had reached the final where they faced a defeat to the Gujarat Titans.
The Rajasthan Royals return to action on Thursday when they take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Samson is currently the highest run-scorer for RR, with Riyan Parag and England’s Jos Buttler following him at second and third, respectively.
