Sanju Samson has been one of the biggest prospects in Indian cricket for quite some time now. But it’s also a fact that he hasn’t got regular opportunities to play for the country. He has been in and out of the mix, leaving his fans and several experts disappointed over the lack of chances given to the wicketkeeper-batter. Recently he was included in the last ODIs against West Indies. After failing to contribute much with the bat in Barbados, he bounced back with a blistering half-century in Trinidad. Sanju also found himself in the playing XI for the first T20I against the hosts but the game slipped as India lost by four runs.
As India’s T20 set-up enters a transition phase where the youngsters are in focus, the team would need someone to play the finisher’s role. Former India batter and JioCinema expert Robin Uthappa believes that Sanju should also be given a longer rope. Speaking after the conclusion of the first T20I in Trinidad, Uthappa said the more chances that Sanju gets as a finisher, the more he will become comfortable in that particular role.
“I am hopeful that considering the team management has decided to play Sanju Samson at No. 6 in T20I cricket, then it’s important he gets a longer rope. If you are going to go into the World Cup with Sanju Samson playing a finisher’s role, then it’s important he understands the position well. The more he plays in that position, he would be able to understand it better,” Uthappa told JioCinema.
Samson smashed a six, scoring a run-a-ball 12 in India’s unsuccessful outing against the Rovman Powell-led side on Thursday. Chasing 150, the visitors were restricted to 145/9 as the West Indies won the game by 4 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series.
Since making his international debut in 2015, Sanju has played only 18 T20Is thus far and scored 313 runs at an average of 19.56. He went out to bat in 12 ODI innings and amassed 390 runs at a decent average of 55.71 and also smashed three fifties.
If Sanju manages to get picked for the Asia Cup 2023 and performs well, there are chances that he might land in the 15-man squad for the much-awaited ICC World Cup 2023. Reports suggest that Shreyas Iyer’s recovery after the back surgery might take time as he has started facing issues despite going under the knife. If he remains unavailable for the selection, the selectors are likely to zero in on Sanju for the marquee event.
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