Rishabh Pant vs Sanju Samson vs KL Rahul - IPL record

Rishabh Pant, returning to the IPL after missing the last season, has gotten back to his best after a few quiet seasons, smashing 371 runs in 9 matches at an average of 46, striking at 160.6 and is a frontrunner in the race to be India's wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup

Pant is diving, stumping, catching, falling while playing shots and is striking like we all know he can do. Overall in the IPL, Pant has scored 3,209 runs at 35.66 and an average of 149.33

Pant has smashed a lone century in the 2018 edition against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and 18 fifties, including three in the ongoing edition. Pant is striking well in the middle overs, giving the required finishes to his team, which bodes well for India

The second option for India as far as the wicketkeeper is concerned is KL Rahul. Rahul is keeping the wickets and opening the batting for the Lucknow Super Giants. Rahul has scored 378 runs this season at an average of 42, striking at 144, which is his best in the last six years in the IPL

Overall, KL Rahul has scored 4,541 runs at 46.3 in the IPL striking at 135.19 including four centuries and 36 fifties. Rahul has been a consistent performer in the IPL but his poor returns in the last T20 World Cup and strike rate are a couple of issues with his selection

The other important factor is that Rahul is opening the innings in the IPL for the Super Giants. However, for the Indian team, he will have to slot in the middle-order with no vacancy at the top and Pant has superseded him in that position. Also, Rahul may have improved his strike rate this year, but it's still 144, which is less than the current requirement of the T20 format

Another wicketkeeper batter, who has done well in the middle order and is heads and shoulders above his competition is Sanju Samson. Samson is ahead of Pant this season, in terms of runs scored, average and strike rate - 385, 77 and 161

Samson-led Rajasthan Royals are currently at the top of the table with 8 wins in 9 matches in IPL 2024. Overall in the IPL, Samson's record has been a bit inconsistent compared to Pant and Rahul having scored 4,273 runs at an average of 30.96, striking at 139.05

However, in the ongoing edition, Samson has come of age as he is picking and choosing his shots and bowlers, playing according to the situation and team's requirements and has already smashed four fifties, which is the most in a season for him

Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson should be the two wicketkeepers to be on that plane to the Americas for the T20 World Cup, given their form, the position Team India requires their stumper to play in and the impact both can have in the middle order. But will BCCI and the selectors go with those two?