3 times a young Indian player was given preference over in-form Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson made his international debut for India on July 19, 2015. Eight years have passed since then, and despite performing well in IPL, Samson has played only 13 ODIs and 24 T20I matches for the Indian cricket team.
Samson has an average of more than 55 and a strike rate of more than 100 in ODIs. He has been a little inconsistent in T20Is, but he has rarely got a consistent run in the playing XI to seal his place.
The wicketkeeper batter has been unlucky at times whenever the Indian team is selected. Several other players have raced ahead of him when it comes to grabbing a spot in the middle-order of the Indian team.
In this listicle now, we will look at three such youngsters who were preferred by selectors over an in-form Sanju Samson while selecting the squad.
#1 Tilak Varma edges ahead of Sanju Samson in the race to Asia Cup 2023
As mentioned ahead, Sanju Samson has an average of more than 55 in the ODI format. The wicketkeeper batter has played 12 innings in the 50-over format for India, where he has amassed 390 runs at a strike rate of 104. He has recorded three half-centuries in those 12 knocks, with his highest score being 86*.
Samson has a double hundred to his name in List-A cricket, but the wicketkeeper batter did not earn a place in the main Indian squad for Asia Cup 2023. Instead, the selectors allotted a place to Tilak Varma, who is yet to play a single ODI match.
While Varma is enormously talented and provides the left-hand option in the middle order, someone like Samson deserved to be a part of the main squad as well instead of traveling with the team as a reserve.
#2 Rishabh Pant was picked ahead of Sanju Samson in 2018
Samson made his T20I debut in 2015, but he had to wait until July 2021 to play his first ODI for the Indian team. Despite proving himself as a match-winner, he never broke into the Indian team's ODI playing XI.
Rishabh Pant received a chance to showcase his talent in 2018. When MS Dhoni was in the final phase of his career, the selectors gave Pant enough chances to showcase his talent.
While Pant did a great job for the team, many fans felt that Samson deserved a few opportunities in the ODI format as well.
#3 Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson were teammates at Delhi Capitals (then known as Delhi Daredevils) in IPL 2016 and 2017 seasons. Iyer made his ODI debut for India in late 2017.
As Iyer impressed straightaway, the team management did not look at any other players for the middle-order positions. Iyer's brilliant batting performances in ODIs (1631 runs in 38 innings at an average of 46.6) ensured that Samson did not get a chance to fit into India's playing XI as a specialist batter in the 50-over format.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned at the press conference that KL Rahul has picked up a niggle, which is why they have named Samson as a reserve. It will be interesting to see if Sanju Samson gets to represent India at the grand stage.