2027 World Cup: Pant, Samson or Ishaan? Who could be India's second wicketkeeper?

2027 ODI World Cup India squad: The preparations and discussions of the Indian team for the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup have already gained momentum. It is almost certain that KL Rahul will be India's primary wicketkeeper in this mega tournament, as he played the same important role for Team India in the 2023 World Cup as well. But the biggest question is, who will get a place in the team as the backup wicketkeeper? In this race, the names of three young stars, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan, are at the forefront. Based on the current equations and previous matches, Ishan Kishan is considered the strongest contender for the role.

Differ in the opinions of veterans

2027 World Cup approaches, cricket legends have also started making their favourite teams. Sunil Gavaskar has been selected as the backup wicketkeeper in his 15-member squad. Ishan was recently seen playing in the ODI series on the tour of England. On the other hand, former coach Ravi Shastri has made this discussion more interesting by naming Rishabh Pant as the second wicketkeeper in his team

Whose contender is strong?

backup keeper. In the 15-member squad, only one of these three can get a chance. Let's understand what is the status of whom, based on past tournaments and recent matches:

Sanju Samson: Sanju Samson, who plays mainly in the T20 format, is unlikely to be selected for the ODI World Cup. He played his last ODI for Team India in December 2023. Therefore, it seems almost impossible for him to make a sudden return to the World Cup directly after four years.

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Rishabh Pant: Pant's place in the ODI team is a bit uncertain. He played his last ODI against Sri Lanka in August 2024. Before that, he only played ODIs in 2022. He was also not included in the squad for the ODI series against Afghanistan in June and the tour of England. Given this irregularity, it may be a little difficult for Pant to get a World Cup ticket

Ishan Kishan: Ishan seems to be the strongest contender for the backup wicketkeeper. He recently played in the ODI series against Afghanistan and England. It is worth noting that he was also kept in the team as a backup keeper in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He is also getting opportunities in the ODI team continuously before the next World Cup, which puts him at the forefront of this race

statistical data and an interesting fact

information, if we take a look at the player's ODI record, 1107 runs have been scored in 28 innings of 32 matches at an average of 42.57. 2 centuries and 7 half-centuries have been scored during this period, with the highest score being 210 runs

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