"He will definitely get an opportunity again because he is Sanju Samson" - Abhishek Nayar on whether keeper-batter lost a chance in IND-WI T20I series
Abhishek Nayar expects Sanju Samson to be given more opportunities despite his underwhelming performances in the recently concluded T20I series between India and the West Indies.
Samson scored 13 runs off nine deliveries as the Men in Blue set a 166-run target for the Windies in the series-deciding final T20I in Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday, August 13. Brandon King then smoked an unbeaten 85 off 55 deliveries to help his side register an eight-wicket win with two overs to spare.
During a discussion on JioCinema, Nayar was asked whether Samson lost an opportunity, to which he responded:
"I am not sure if he has lost an opportunity. He will definitely get an opportunity again because he is Sanju Samson. If you are in Sanju's position, you will ask just one question that whether he is a No. 6 batter and whether he has batted at No. 6."
While observing that the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter was made to bat out of position, the former Indian all-rounder acknowledged that he could have fared better. He said:
"He hasn't done that. I feel it was a new role for him. He played three innings, didn't make an impression. Probably there can be a question raised that he needs to score runs if he has been given opportunities. Today he was made to bat at No. 5."
Samson aggregated 32 runs in three innings at a dismal average of 10.67 and a below-par strike rate of 114.28 in the T20I series against the Windies.
"If you want to utilize Sanju Samson more, bat him at No. 3" - Abhishek Nayar
Abhishek Nayar reckons Sanju Samson can be best utilized at No. 3. He stated:
"I believe if you want to utilize Sanju Samson more, bat him at No. 3 because that is his number. He is used to that and he is successful there, or else don't play him."
The Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach feels Rinku Singh is a better option than Samson in the lower-middle order. He elaborated:
"If you are going to play him at No. 5 or No. 6, play Rinku Singh instead. If you play Samson in the top three, you will get more out of him because he plays shots in the powerplay and then plays the spinners. So I believe not the right place but he will get opportunities."
Both Samson and Rinku are part of India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland. It will be interesting to see if the former is given a chance to bat up the order and the latter is played as a finisher in the three-match series.