"He looks to attack from the first ball" - Sunil Gavaskar explains reason for Sanju Samson's inconsistency
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has tried to dissect why wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson hasn't been able to cement his place in the Indian white-ball team. Samson has been around the national set-up for a long time, but has failed to consistently nail a spot in the squad.
The 27-year-old had a great 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as he led them to the final, scoring 458 runs. However, he managed to convert just two of his starts into half-centuries.
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Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar explained that since Samson sometimes tries to over-attack, he ends up losing his wicket. The 72-year-old said:
“Everybody deserves more chance but you got to make the most of them. What has led Sanju Samson down, because all of us know the tremendous ability that he has, is his shot selection while playing for India.”
He added:
“He looks to attack from the first ball and even in T20Is, there is an opportunity to get your feet going, get your eye … you know with the light and pitch, etc.”
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Sanju Samson has been selected in the Indian team for Ireland tour
Samson has played just one ODI and 13 T20Is for India despite making his debut way back in 2015. But the top-order batsman now has a chance to make a strong claim for his spot as he has been named in the Hardik Pandya-led team that will take on Ireland.
Sunil Gavaskar feels if the 27-year-old is able to give himself a little time initially and play better shots, he might cement his place in the Indian team. Gavaskar stated:
“So, yes if his shot selection gets better then he will be so much more consistent whether it is for India or for his franchise. Then there will be nobody asking questions about his place in the team.”
India's T20I squad vs Ireland: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.