India vs Bangladesh: Will Sanju Samson be ahead of Ishan Kishan for the T20I series vs Bangladesh?

India is hosting Bangladesh for a 2-Test and 3-T20I series, where they are leading in the red-ball format after winning the opening game by a margin of 280 runs in Chennai, thanks to a combined team effort. In the first innings, local boy R. Ashwin set the stage on fire with a hundred when the Indian team was in a difficult situation. In the second innings, Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant made a grand return, scoring his 6th Test hundred, tying the record of former Indian captain MS Dhoni for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper in Test cricket. The Indian team will play the final game of the series starting on 27th September 2024 in Kanpur.

Nevertheless, all eyes will be on India’s T20I squad, which will be announced in the coming days after evaluating the performances of Indian players in the recent domestic tournament, the Duleep Trophy. Several players stood out with impeccable performances. However, considering the current scenario and the team composition of the Men in Blue, only one player might be picked as the second-choice wicketkeeper after Rishabh Pant’s return to the squad.

The two players who performed exceptionally well in the domestic tournament are Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, both scoring centuries. However, Samson is a step ahead of Kishan with 196 runs compared to Kishan’s 123 runs (in four innings for India D and India C, respectively). Despite this, Samson struggled in the last T20I series against Sri Lanka, getting out for a duck twice. However, after showcasing his talent in the domestic tournament, there is a possibility that the Indian team management might opt for Sanju Samson over Ishan Kishan, who had opted out of the team last year for personal reasons and has since struggled to make a return.

Meanwhile, it will be tough for Ishan Kishan to secure a spot in India’s playing XI, as Surya and the team management are unlikely to disturb the batting combination established after the retirement of legendary players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from T20Is. Several players are top contenders to open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, including Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Given India’s busy Test schedule, with a 2-match home Test series against New Zealand, the team management might choose to rest Shubman Gill and give Ishan Kishan one last chance to solidify his place in the Indian team.