IND v AUS 2020: Sanju Samson is frittering away his chances, says Mohammad Kaif
Former Indian batsman and cricket expert Mohammad Kaif believes that Sanju Samson is not making the most of his opportunities for the Men in Blue in T20Is. There has been a lot of competition for spots in the Indian middle-order, especially in the shortest format.
Kaif is of the opinion that Samson is not making the most of the chances being afforded to him to cement his place in the playing XI, as he is simply throwing his wicket away.
Having scored 23 and 15 in the first two T20Is respectively, Sanju Samson did get off to decent starts but couldn't quite convert them into big scores. Although there are chances that he may be dropped for the third T20I, Mohammad Kaif feels that the 26-year-old should be given a longer rope.
Kaif believes that Samson has an X-factor and the ability to hit sixes at will. According to Kaif, Samson's big-hitting could be extremely handy for team India with the 2021 T20 World Cup in sight.
“According to me, we have won the series. He has got two innings and in the first T20I, Sanju Samson was looking good. It felt like he could score runs. And he has the X-factor, he has the ability to hit sixes,” Mohammad Kaif said during a discussion on the Sony Sports network.
“Yes, he is frittering away his chances. He is new and will get more chances although he has not grasped his chances, like Natarajan has done. That has not happened with Sanju Samson but I feel he should get more chances," he further added.
Sanju Samson needs to learn how to build an innings from Virat Kohli: Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif believes that although Samson is a talented player and has the ability to hit huge sixes, he needs to learn the art of building an innings from Indian skipper Virat Kohli.
Arguably India's best batsman across all three formats, Kohli has proved that running hard between the wickets and keeping the scoreboard ticking is just as important in T20 cricket as boundary-hitting is.
Mohammad Kaif would like to see Sanju Samson concentrate more on building his innings and getting a big score if he gets an opportunity in the third T20I.
“If Samson gets the opportunity now, then he should take the example from Virat Kohli in the middle. Virat Kohli is a player who also makes the runs through singles and doubles. You can hit the sixes but he needs to learn from Virat Kohli on how to build an innings,” Mohammad Kaif asserted.
The third T20I between India and Australia will also be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on December 8. While the Men in Blue will try their best to complete a 3-0 whitewash over the Aussies, the hosts will look to salvage some pride by winning the third T20I.