"Favouritism towards Rishabh Pant.." Fans lash out at Indian team management over Sanju Samson's exclusion in 1st SL vs IND T20I

Sanju Samson had hit a match-winning half-century in his last T20I outing for India.

A section of fans expressed frustration, anger and sympathy amid various emotions as Sanju Samson was left out from India’s playing XI for the first T20I against Sri Lanka on Saturday in Pallekele.

India kicked off their tour of Sri Lanka on July 27 with the T20I series. One of the tough decisions that the new Indian team management, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir, needed to make was to pick one between Samson and Rishabh Pant.

Pant had played the entire ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and didn’t have many runs to show there while Samson was on the bench. Pant was then rested from the Zimbabwe tour where Samson cracked a match-winning knock of 58 runs in the last T20I.

As India begin their new cycle in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the selection of their first-choice keeper was something everyone was looking forward to.

Despite his underwhelming T20 World Cup and Samson’s fifty in Zimbabwe, Pant got the nod over the Kerala cricketer in the first T20I against Sri Lanka.

Pant has had a long run in T20Is but has not been able to cement his spot. In 74 T20Is, the left-hander averages 22 with a strike rate of 126 and has only three half-centuries to show. Samson has two fifties in 24 knocks and a strike rate of 133.

Pant’s selection over Sanju Samson in Pallekele in 1st IND vs SL T20I infuriated the fans.

Playing XI for 1st IND vs SL T20I:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka(c), Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Riyan Parag, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

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