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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant is reportedly on the verge of losing his spot in the India ODI team amid a massive struggle for form in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 season. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir are thoroughly evaluating their options ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Afghanistan starting June 14. Due to his dismal performances, the management is set to drop Pant and has identified the highly explosive Sanju Samson as the ultimate blockbuster replacement to serve as the primary backup wicketkeeper batter behind KL Rahul.

Sanju Samson Replaces Struggling Rishabh Pant In White Ball Setup

Rishabh Pant’s banishment from the playing XI has a single source – his worrying lack of run-scoring in the pressure situations. The left-hand batsman has featured in only eight games of the Lucknow Super Giants this season, and in those, he has scored just 189 runs at a dismally low average of 27. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson has not only answered the selectors with his unbelievable consistency but also compelled them to force their hand. He is playing his maiden season for the Chennai Super Kings, and already, he has made two stunning centuries, scoring 304 runs in a mere eight matches.

A recent report of Dainik Jagran has explicitly stated that Samson has unseated Pant in the Indian squad, and Pant is now out of favour. Deepak Hooda, running a brilliant campaign at the recent T20 World Cup and the current domestic franchise league, has grabbed the attention of the top bosses

Ajit Agarkar And Gautam Gambhir Focus On The Next World Cup Cycle

With the Indian cricket team scheduled to play twenty ODI matches leading up to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir are leaving absolutely no room for error. They are firmly setting their sights on building a dominant and reliable core group for the marquee event. While Dhruv Jurel remains a solid contender in the mix, the phenomenal track record of Sanju Samson in limited opportunities makes him the obvious choice.

Samson boasts an incredible record of 510 runs in 14 innings at a phenomenal average of 56.67 in one-day internationals. Although the place of Rishabh Pant in the Test squad remains completely secure, his immediate future in limited-overs cricket looks incredibly dark unless he engineers a miraculous turnaround.