Top 3 contenders to become Sanju Samson’s opening partner in India’s T20I squad

Indian cricket Team is going through a period of transition across formats. The gradual phasing out has been witnessed more in the T20I format. After winning the World Cup in June, three established stars skipper Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Virat Kohli decided to hang up their boots. 

The loss of Rohit Sharma in particular will be a huge void for the Men in Blue. India’s former skipper was not only a great tactician on the field but also the leading batter at the top. With Rohit Sharma gone, India began to look for a new opener who could come in and continue to do the job admirably for the national side. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting for India during the Zimbabwe tour just after the World Cup. In the last few series, Sanju Samson has been given the onus of playing the new ball and being aggressive at the start of the innings. Abhishek Sharma, after an exciting IPL was handed his chance to show his wares. So far, the 24-year-old hasn’t been able to do well with the bat barring one century. 

Here are the top 3 candidates to open the batting for India in T20I cricket with Sanju Samson

3- Shubman Gill

Young batting sensation, Shubman Gill has played just 21 matches for India in the T20I format. In each of those games, Gill has gone onto open the batting for India and scored 578 runs with one century and 3 half-centuries. His strike rate of 139.28 shows how dangerous he can be when he gets set. Gill has also been playing as an opener for his IPL side Gujarat Titans and has already notched up five centuries. The right-handed batter can be an ideal candidate for the opening slot along with Sanju Samson in T20I cricket. 

2- Ruturaj Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has been scoring runs with consistent ease both in domestic and IPL cricket. The 27-year-old has already played 23 times for India and scored 633 runs with an average of 39 and his strike rate of 143 is also note-worthy. The right-handed batting star has scored a terrific ton against Australia along with four fifties. Ruturaj Gaikwad is a natural timer of the ball and tends to start slow before accelerating. Gaikwad could be the perfect partner for Sanju Samson as the latter just like Rohit Sharma is known to go after the bowlers. In the case of India losing Samson early, Gaikwad can drop anchor and give the much-needed solidity at the top of the order.

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1- Yashasvi Jaiswal

Already hailed as the next big thing in the Cricketing world, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been setting run-scoring records on fire. The 22-year-old has already played 23 matches in the T20I format and was part of the side that won the gold medal in the Asia Cup. So far Jaiswal has scored 723 runs in the T20I format with an average of 36 and a strike rate of 164. If the Indian team management wants to go in for a left- and right-hand combination, then the pairing of Jaiswal and Samson is a match made in heaven. Both players play for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and the familiarity factor will play high.

Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.

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