Dhruv Jurel or Sanju Samson - who should be India's wicket-keeper for 3rd T20I vs Zimbabwe
Team India made a thumping comeback to level the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe 1-1 on Sunday, July 7. An authoritative performance from batters propelled the team to ascendancy from where the hosts couldn't manage to stage a comeback.
Led by Shubman Gill, a young Indian side went down meekly in the first game of the series. However, the reigning T20 world champions bounced back strongly in the next game, proving that they can't be taken lightly despite the absence of senior cricketers.
Banking on a devastating hundred from Abhishek Sharma, the Men in Blue posted 234/2 on the board before skittling out Zimbabwe for just 134 in just 18.4 overs.
They will be riding high on confidence heading into the third game on Wednesday. However, the management will have to make some tough choices while picking the playing XI. The trio of Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube, who were part of India's T20 World Cup-winning side, have joined the team in Harare and will look to stake a claim in the playing XI.
While Jaiswal and Dube look like sure-shot starters, Samson will have to battle it out with Dhruv Jurel for a place in the team. On that note, let's analyze and see who should be India's wicketkeeper in the third T20I between the two sides.
Dhruv Jurel's record in T20s
Jurel made his T20I debut for India in the first game against Zimbabwe. It was a combined batting failure from the Indians and Jurel was no exception. He managed to score only six runs in that game and didn't get an opportunity to bat in the next outing after top-order batters steamrolled the opposition bowlers.
However, Dhruv Jurel enjoys a decent record in the shortest format. Batting in the middle and lower order, the right-handed batter has aggregated 445 runs in 31 innings at a strike rate of almost 135, including two half-centuries.
The youngster also impressed in whatever limited opportunities came his way during the IPL 2024 while playing for the Rajasthan Royals. He amassed 195 at a strike rate of 138.30, including two fifties. The Uttar Pradesh player has shown that he can play the long handle and will be a good option for the Men in Blue in the future.
Sanju Samson's record in T20s
The wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala has been touted as a generational talent by many, but somehow, he has failed to live up to the hype. Although one can argue that he didn't get a long rope like many others, a player of Sanju Samson needs to grab even a single opportunity to stake a claim on the Men in the Blue side. Such is the competition for a place in the team.
Overall, he has donned the Blue jersey 24 times in the shortest format and has scored 374 runs at a dismal average of 18.70 and a strike rate of 133.09.
However, his T20 numbers don't really paint a true picture of his abilities. A clean striker of the ball, Sanju can bat anywhere in the order. While he has opened the batting for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL, the right-hander has been made to bat in the middle order for the Men in Blue.
Sanju had a fabulous campaign with the bat in IPL 2024, amassing 531 runs in 15 innings at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46. He was also picked in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup ahead of KL Rahul. However, he didn't get any game time, as the team management decided to go with Rishabh Pant as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter.
Who should India play in the 3rd T20I between Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel?
It is true that Jurel has had only one opportunity to showcase his batting prowess and deserves a long rope, but Sanju should be the preferred option for the next fixture. It is solely because Sanju Samson is ahead of Dhruv Jurel in the pecking order at the moment.
Samson went to the Caribbeans as the second-choice wicketkeeper after Rishabh Pant. Thus, in the absence of Pant, it is Sanju who deserves an opportunity in the playing XI before anyone else.
Hence, the management should tinker with their winning combinations in the third T20I to accommodate Sanju Samson in the playing XI.