Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson are three of the brightest young wicketkeeper-batsmen in Indian cricket at the moment. All three have shown tremendous potential and have already made a mark in the Indian Premier League and the domestic circuit. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retirement from international cricket, the search is on for the next wicketkeeper-batter for India and these three players are the front-runners for the spot.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant made his debut for India in 2017 and has been a mainstay in the team since then. He has a reputation for being an aggressive and attacking batter and is known for his big-hitting abilities. In the IPL, he has represented Delhi Capitals and has scored 2838 runs in the tournament including a century and 15 half-centuries.
Pant has also had success in international cricket and has scored nearly 4000 runs combined in all three formats including 6 centuries and 19 half-centuries. However, he has been inconsistent and prone to getting out cheaply at times.
Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan made his debut for India in 2021 and has had a successful start to his international career. He has represented Mumbai Indians in the IPL and has scored 1870 runs in the tournament including 12 half-centuries.
Ishan Kishan is a left-handed batter and is known for his calm and composed demeanor at the crease. He has good technique and is a solid player at pace bowling. Kishan has also shown good skills behind the stumps and is a safe pair of hands and has scored over 1000 runs combined in ODIs and T20Is formats including a double century, century, and 7 half-centuries. He is the only wicketkeeper batter for India to hit a double century in One-day Cricket.
Sanu Samson
Sanju Samson made his debut for India in 2015 but has not been able to cement his place in the team. He has represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and has scored 3526 runs in the tournament including 3 centuries and 17 half-centuries.
Samson is a flamboyant batsman and is known for his shot-making abilities. He is a natural stroke player and is a talented wicketkeeper as well. However, he has struggled to convert his starts into big scores and has been inconsistent in international cricket. Samson has scored over 600 runs combined in ODIs and T20Is formats including 3 half-centuries.
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So, who is the best young wicketkeeper-batter for India among these three players? It is difficult to say at this point as all three players have their own strengths and weaknesses. Pant is the most experienced of the three and has had success in international cricket, but he needs to be more consistent in white ball cricket. Ishan Kishan is a promising young player who has made a good start to his international career, but he needs more time to prove himself. Samson is a talented batsman but has struggled to convert his starts into big scores. Additionally, he has got very few chances to prove his worth. It will be interesting to see how these three players progress in the coming years and who among them will emerge as the best wicketkeeper-batter for India.