'No better way to stand and scream 'I want that spot'': ENG great backs Hooda, Samson to fill Rohit-Kohli gap post T20WC

The England great hailed Hooda and Samson's record Dublin show on Tuesday and backed the pair to fill the Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli gap after the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The T20 World Cup is just around the corner. India have just two more T20I series to play before they finalise their 15-member squad for the big event in Australia. But the selectors do have a mammoth task in hand to name that final-15 with a lot of fringe players making their case for the World Cup squad as well through the South Africa and Ireland series which saw the absence of of some big names. And while England great Graeme Swann hailed Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson's record Dublin show on Tuesday, he also backed the pair to fill the Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli gap after the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda; Rohit Sharma with Virat Kohli

Swann, during his conversation on Sony Sports after India's four-run win against Ireland in the 2nd T20I, opined that one or two spots will open up after the World Cup with the team wanting to look ahead and Hooda and Samson have lifted their hands to fill those gaps following their fabulous knocks on Tuesday.

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Hooda scored a record 104 to become the fourth India batter to notch up a ton in T20Is, while Samson recorded his highest ever T20I score with his knock off 77. Together, the pair added a 176-run stand off 87 deliveries for the second wicket, which is the highest partnership run in a single innings for any wicket for India in the format, as the visitors finish with 225 for seven batting first.

“They are knocking on the door and some would argue that there will that will be definitely up for grabs sooner rather than later. You got couple of huge names that will come back into the reckoning for the World Cup - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. But after the World Cup I wouldn't be surprised if one or two spaces really open up and there is no better way to stand up and scream 'I want that spot' than they batted tonight,” Swann said.

“Yes it is a small ground and the total can be taken with a little bit of a pinch of salt. But these shots that Hooda and Samson were playing, no matter how small the ground was, they were flying miles. They are world-class players,” he added.

India will next play three T20Is against England and five against West Indies before heading to Australia for the T20 World Cup.