India’s first choice keeper  

Earlier the Indian team used to have only 2 wicket keepers, one who used to play all the matches, and the other one as a backup. But now with the emergence of franchise cricket and increase in the number of bilateral series, a lot of wicket keepers are chosen by selectors who are picked in different squads as per their game style. Also, now, It is extremely important to manage the workload of each player so that they are match ready and fully fit to perform on game days. Thus, it becomes extremely important for management to keep shuffling so that they can bring the best out of each individual. For that, selectors have segregated a bunch of options, but they need to filter among those options as well, so that they can prepare the best ones for the long run. 

What are options in front of Indian selectors?

Rishabh Pant 

Rishabh Pant could be the first choice keeper for the Indian Team particularly in Tests and T20s. He is a versatile player who can hit the ball out of the park quite easily. We all have seen how is a big asset to the Indian team in red ball cricket. After all, he played a solid role in India’s Gabba victory in 2021. Other than that also, on various occasions, he has shown his potential in both the longest and the shortest format. Although, his inclusion in one day team is a bit dicey as KL Rahul was preferred over him in the recent ODI series against

KL Rahul

He recently made a comeback in the Indian team after a gap of few months, and he was instantly preferred over Rishabh Pant in ODIs. Rahul has shown his flexibility in terms of batting a number of times before. He has opened, batted middle order and batted down the order as well, and he has proved how his game is polished enough to adjust at each order. He a good option in one day cricket, but it might be difficult for him to surpass Rishabh Pant in other two formats . 

Ishan Kishan

After the 2023 World Cup, Ishaan Kishan was dropped from the Indian team, but he might make a comeback soon. His game is a lot similar to that of  Rishabh Pant’s, which makes him a like for like replacement. However, to make a comeback, he has to go through the grind of domestic cricket yet again. 

Dhruv Jurel

He is a youngster full of potential, who has the potential to do well for the country in future. He has already shown his caliber in IPL and based on that only he was picked for the Indian team. However he still has a long way to go if he aims to become India’s first choice keeper. 

Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson’s forte is T20 cricket and he has done well in IPL in previous years. However, whenever given a chance to play for India, he couldn’t rise to the occasion. The Indian team’s coaches are very well aware of Sanju’s game sense and because of that sole reason, they could give him more chances at the international stage.  

Now the question arises- who will keep in upcoming Bangladesh series and on whom is the management counting in the long run for next year’s ICC events, which are: Champions Trophy, World Test Championship Final. 

Obviously the head coach Gautam Gambhir will be ready with these answers, but we as spectators will get to know only when the right time comes.  But whoever will be the first choice keeper, will surely have to prove a lot to maintain his standing in playing XI.