'There is no question about who will be the wicketkeeper, Sanju has proven his talent'; skipper Suryakumar Yadav backs Sanju

KOLKATA: Malayali cricketer Sanju Samson has been embroiled in controversy after being excluded from India's Champions Trophy squad and not participating in Kerala's Vijay Hazare Trophy. Amid these discussions, Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav has provided clarity regarding who will keep wickets in the T20 series against England starting today.

“There is no question about who will be the wicketkeeper. In the past 7 to 10 games, Sanju has truly shown his potential. What we expect from our wicketkeeper-batters is to prioritize the team and lead in the right direction. Sanju got the opportunity and made the most of it, and I’m happy about that,” said Suryakumar Yadav.

Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the T20 format, Sanju has made his mark by scoring 471 runs in 12 matches at an average of 42.81. His impressive strike rate in T20Is stands at 189.15. Coach Gautam Gambhir has been a vocal advocate for Sanju’s inclusion in the Indian team. Recently, visuals of Gambhir engaging in lengthy discussions and sharing laughs with Sanju during practice surfaced, highlighting their camaraderie.

The 30-year-old has proved his mettle in the South Africa and Bangladesh series, scoring three centuries. Dhruv Jurel is the backup wicketkeeper for the series against England starting today. There are indications that Sanju might also be deployed as a fielder in some matches instead of being behind the stumps.