Sanju Samson to replace Rishabh Pant in India's ODI team

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant has been facing the heat after his side failed to perform well in the IPL 2026. The 28-year-old hasn’t done well, scoring just 189 runs from eight games. All these performances haven’t gone unnoticed, and Pant’s future with the Indian cricket team is not certain.

According to a report by Dainik Jagran, he is set to be dropped from the Indian ODI side. The report also mentioned that Sanju Samson is the leading choice to be named as his replacement. Samson will be the second-choice wicketkeeper behind KL Rahul, who has been preferred as the first choice to don the gloves in the 50-over format. 

Ajit Agarkar and the rest of the Indian selection committee are focused on identifying players for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The showpiece event is set to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia as the Men in Blue look to end their wait to win the prestigious title. Agarkar and coach Gautam Gambhir are likely to end Rishabh’s stint in the ODI format owing to his poor form. 

Chennai Super Kings star set for ODI recall

Samson’s last 50-over game for India was in late 2023 during the tour of South Africa. Incidentally, the batter scored his only ODI ton in that game and wasn’t selected thereafter. Rahul’s elevation as a wicket-keeper has seen the two-time world champions perform well in this format over the last few years, and he also went on to win the Champions Trophy last February. 

The 31-year-old CSK opening batter and wicketkeeper has been in good run-scoring form this year’s IPL. Sanju has already scored two centuries this campaign and has been Chennai’s best batter in an otherwise inconsistent season for the five-time champions. A Kerala-born lad also played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup win this year.

Rishabh Pant’s ODI record 

Once touted as the natural successor to MS Dhoni, the youngster from Delhi made his fifty-over debut in 2018 against the West Indies. He was also part of the squad for the 2019 World Cup, where India reached the semi-finals before losing to New Zealand, and played a handful of games. 

The former Delhi Capitals skipper last played an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2024, where he scored just six runs. So far, the southpaw has played 31 ODI matches, scoring 871 runs with one century and five fifties. The player averages 33.5 and has a strike rate of 106. He has recorded 27 catches and one stumping.