End of road for Sanju Samson? Why Shubman Gill’s return to T20Is tilts wicketkeeping debate in Jitesh Sharma’s favor | Cricket News

What started as a trial in the final matches of the Australian tour now looks more like a direction. The selection of Jitesh Sharma ahead of Sanju Samson in the first T20I against South Africa offered a clear view of how the team management is shaping its plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup.The choice is difficult to dispute. With Shubman Gill back in the T20 setup, Samson was pushed back from the top order and, since then, has struggled to break into the playing XI. In this context, the think tank seems to have opted for a lower-order option accustomed to finishing matches rather than a top-order batter adapting to a different role.

Jitesh, who considers finishing his main job, is now in contention to start the World Cup unless his form dips drastically in the remaining series against South Africa and New Zealand. At this stage, the wicketkeeper position appears to be a direct competition between Jitesh and Samson, leaving little room for alternatives.Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta supported the call, saying: “It is the right decision. If Sanju is not in the top three and the keeper is batting in the middle order, you would rather play a specialist, a lower-order batter than a higher-order batter. It is not easy to bat for two or four balls.”“Jitesh is a specialist in this field,” Dasgupta was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.Looking ahead, Dasgupta added: “Nine matches to go (before the World Cup), I don’t see too many changes before the T20 World Cup,” highlighting the sense of stability in the current setup.Arsh or Kul: only one deep can playThe team selection in Cuttack also highlighted another compromise. If India wants batting depth up to No.8, it becomes difficult to fit both Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav in the XI.During the Asia Cup in the UAE, Arshdeep, despite being India’s leading wicket-taker in this format, spent most of the time on the bench. He played three matches in Australia and made his presence felt again against South Africa, taking the lead with an attacker. His skill in playing at the death is undoubtedly a key asset for the Indian T20 cricket team.His inclusion, however, came at the expense of Kuldeep, who had picked up wickets in the ODI series even with heavy dew.Dasgupta recognized the dilemma. “It’s unfortunate (choosing between Arshdeep and Kuldeep). The way Arshdeep bowls (you have to pick it). He is the highest wicket-taker in the format for you,” he told PTI.“Ideally you would like to have both, but you can’t (with a stick needed up to 8),” he said.Overall, the team looks stable heading into the World Cup, but there are areas to watch. The runs did not flow from captain Suryakumar Yadav, and vice-captain Gill also went through a lean phase.On senior batting, he added: “(on SKY and Gill) I wouldn’t say a worry but ideally you would like to see them get runs. Once you start thinking about runs, chances are you won’t bat freely.”“With Surya, it’s not a series, we haven’t seen the best of him since he took over as captain (last year).”