"Each game is like a do-or-die game for him" - Former Indian pacer calls for Sanju Samson to get a 'long run' in the XI
Former Indian pacer Tinu Yohannan feels wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson should play each game like a do-or-die, considering the stop-start nature of his international career. Despite debuting for India in 2015, Samson has played only 29 T20Is and 16 ODIs in his career.
The 29-year-old was part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad but did not feature in a single game. Samson then played the second half of the Zimbabwe T20Is before sitting out of the opener of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
However, he replaced Shubman Gill for the second Sri Lankan T20I but fell for a first-ball duck while opening the batting.
In an interview with Revsportz, Yohannan empathized with his fellow Kerala cricketer and said:
"He debuted about 10 years ago and after that he has been (playing) on and off. He didn’t get a long run at any time. Each game is like a do-or-die game for him. Almost every time when he walks out to bat, he goes into pressure situations. He has to be given a long run somewhere down the line. He needs backing."
Yohannan added:
"At Royals, he knows what his role is. He also knows it doesn’t matter if he fails. I know, in the Indian team it’s very difficult for him to get a long stretch of games, especially now that Rishabh (Pant) has come back. But then, he needs to be given a long run at some point of time."
Despite inconsistent opportunities, Sanju Samson has disappointed in T20Is with an average of 20.18 and a strike rate of 132.93 in 29 outings.
Yet, he shone brightly in the 2024 IPL season, finishing as the fifth-leading scorer with 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46.
"He is someone who excels when there are no strings attached" - Tinu Yohannan on Sanju Samson
![Sanju Samson scored a sparkling century in his most recent ODI appearance. [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/07/fce67-17222508703409-1920.jpg?w=500)
Tinu Yohannan feels Sanju Samson does not put pressure on himself and will excel if allowed to express himself without doubts.
The talented batter scored a brilliant century in South Africa the last time he played an ODI but still finds himself out of the 50-over squad for the ongoing Sri Lankan tour.
"He is not a guy who puts pressure on himself,” observed Yohannan. “He is someone who has a free mind. He is someone who excels when there are no strings attached, in an environment where he can express himself. He scored a century in his last ODI (against South Africa) and now he hasn’t been picked in the ODI squad. He has reached a point where he doesn’t think about it too much. He just goes game by game," said Yohannan.
While his T20I numbers are sub-par, Samson boasts an impressive ODI record with an average of over 56 and a strike rate of almost 100. Yet, he has played only 16 ODIs despite debuting in the format in 2021.