Sreesanth Calls for Sanju Samson's Inclusion in India's T20 World Cup XI

Former Indian fast bowler Sreesanth has strongly advocated for the inclusion of wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson in India's playing XI for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, Sreesanth's suggestion is not to replace first-choice wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant but to play Samson as a pure batsman in place of Shivam Dube.

Sreesanth's reasoning is based on the premise that if Shivam Dube is not bowling, Team India would be better off selecting a more capable batsman like Samson. He believes that Samson should be included as a finisher, given his exceptional batting skills.

"If they (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) are opening, I don't see any reason to change the XI. Axar Patel is bowling well. If you look at Shivam Dube, yes, he hasn't played well in the first two games, but we know what he can do with the bat. But I would like to see one change, and that is Sanju Samson come in the team," Sreesanth told ANI.

"If Shivam Dube is not bowling, then Sanju (Samson) should be given an opportunity; we know he is good enough," Sreesanth emphasized.

Sreesanth's suggestion stems from his belief that Samson is a hungry and talented player who deserves an opportunity to showcase his abilities. He also highlighted Samson's exceptional fielding skills, which would be a valuable asset to the team.

"I spoke to him the other day; he is hungry for an opportunity," Sreesanth said. "He is also a Superman fielder."

Sreesanth and Samson share a common bond as they both hail from the state of Kerala in India. Despite Samson typically batting at number 3 in the IPL, Sreesanth believes he should be deployed as a finisher in the T20 World Cup.

"I feel Sanju comes in last along with Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. I think we can finish on a big score if we are chasing, with Virat being the chase master king. I don't see any score being that difficult for us to chase," said Sreesanth, a winner of the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

Dube played a crucial role in India's victory against the USA. Coming in to bat with India lying at 39-3, Dube and Suryakumar Yadav ensured India reached home safely and qualified for the Super 8 stage.

Samson enjoyed his most successful IPL to date before the T20 World Cup. He finished as the fifth-highest run-getter in IPL 2024, with 531 runs from 15 innings for the Rajasthan Royals.

India are confirmed to face Australia and Afghanistan in the Super 8.

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