The Next Indian Wicketkeeper: A look into the post MSD era

On 27th November 2020, the Indian cricket team will play Australia in the first of the three ODI series. It is a long tour down under for them with three T20Is and 4 Test matches to be played as well. But the single most hard to digest factor for Bharat Army will be that for the first time in more than 15 years, Team India will feature without MS Dhoni in a cricket series. The first game of the post MSD era. Yep, let that sink in. 

An interesting aspect of the selection process of the Indian squad was that every single big prospect behind the stump that was always being talked about to take place of our beloved number seven will leave for Australia. Wriddhiman Saha, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, and KL Rahul, all are part of the Indian squad in some capacity or the other. It will be interesting for Indian cricket fans to see how it pans out and who makes the most of their opportunities. But for now, let us take a look at how all four of them have been doing in recent times:

4. Sanju Samson: The quite one talking with the bat

The quiet one has been doing the talking with the bat this season. Like he usually has in the Indian Premier League for a long time now. It has gotten Sanju Samson a spot in the T20I squad against Cricket Australia. Samson has been in good touch with the bat for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 326 runs in 11 games and playing few magical and mature innings with the bat.

(Image credits: https://www.iplt20.com/photos)

He hasn't kept all season with Jos Buttler in the team and that is where one can ask with KL Rahul in the team, will Samson be keeping or fielding. It remains to be seen with the latter being our prediction. Samson who has only played 4 T20Is for Team India, despite debuting back in 2015 hasn't made it big with the bat so far with only 35 runs in his bag. But there seems to be a different air around him in IPL 2020 

3. Rishabh Pant: The man with many chances

The man who was put in the picture more than anyone else now finds himself in the toughest spot amongst all the contenders for Indian cricket's most talked about the position as of this moment. But isn't that how champions players are formed. You push them against the wall and they emerge as a better version of themselves. Rishabh Pant started off IPL 2020 on a fantastic note. Scoring close to 180 runs in the first five games. But things have changed pretty quickly for the 23-year old who now has only 253 runs in nine games without a single half-century. And his lowest strike rate in five years of IPL.

(Image credits: https://www.iplt20.com/photos)

But Pant seems to have worked on his offside game pretty well, as the great Brian Lara decoded while talking about the youngster. BCCI putting faith in him for the test squad seems to be a new start for him. One which can take him to the spot he has always wanted to be. Backing him are his performances in the 2018/19 tour down under, where he didn't score less than 25 runs every time he went out to bat.

2. Wriddhiman Saha: The man with the steel

Which brings us to our most likely keeper in the longest and the most challenging format, Tests. Wridhhiman Saha who is fresh of a steaming 87 against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020 should be the first choice wicketkeeper for India in the test series. Saha has kept the wickets in 37 Test matches for India up until now and is pretty sharp behind the stumps with 92 catches and 11 stumpings.

(Image credits: https://www.iplt20.com/photos)

He has also scored 1238 runs with 3 centuries and 5 half-centuries which given the fact how our batting lineup operates is pretty impressive. It does look a bit odd that he has only been included in one squad but that is why this tour is going to be interesting. Saha will be competing with Rishabh Pant for that spot, who took his place in the team the last time India toured Australia. 

1. KL Rahul: The one who can do it all!

Let us begin with the man of the moment and the current IPL Orange Cap holder. Captain, opener, and wicketkeeper at Kings Xi Punjab, who has really turned the heat on in IPL 2020 lately. KL Rahul has been on top of the scoring chart in United Arab Emirates (UAE) almost since the beginning of the league this season. The Bangalore based batsman has almost picked up his 2020 from where he left. He had been a key member for India in the series against Sri Lanka, Australia, and to a certain extent in New Zealand.

(Image credits: https://www.iplt20.com/photos)

It is going to be a big tour for Lokesh Rahul himself who failed to make a mark the last time India toured Australia, but one can really bet against him doing that. He has been selected in all three squads and in the uncertainty around Rohit Sharma, he has been named as the vice-captain in the white-ball format. While he is the only wicketkeeper in the ODI squad, it will be interesting to see if he gets a chance to don gloves in T20 or at all in Tests.

Actually around all four of them in some ways or the other. They all have a challenge in front of them. And what better way than make them all stand together in the toughest cricket backyard in the world. Australia! It is bound to be a hot and fiery beginning to the post MSD era.