"It remains to be seen if Sanju Samson can be consistent" - Danish Kaneria
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria feels that while Sanju Samson showcased great form in the second T20I against Ireland, he will have to be more consistent to retain his place in the Indian side.
Samson was added to India's playing XI for the final T20I in Dublin on Tuesday in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who suffered an injury in the first game. The right-hander grabbed the opportunity with both hands, scoring 77 runs off 42 deliveries at the top of the order.
Kaneria opined that Samson can't afford to waste any chances now as there is a lot of competition in the Indian team for the wicketkeeper's role. He pointed out that the Kerala-born cricketer will have to compete against Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik for a spot.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaneria said:
"The T20 World Cup 2022 is inching closer and India have got a lot of options like Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson for the wicketkeeper's role. Samson got an opportunity (against Ireland) and made the most of it. But it remains to be seen if he can be consistent.
"Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad have also got many chances to open. However, the two have struggled in terms of consistency."
Meanwhile, Samson made a significant impact with the bat in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2022). The dynamic batter has slammed 458 runs from 17 games and finished as the second-highest run-getter for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) this season.
He also received appreciation from all quarters for his captaincy as he led the franchise to the final of the competition.
"He is becoming a more confident player now" - Danish Kaneria on Deepak Hooda
Team India batter Deepak Hooda wowed fans with his batting exploits in the two-match series in Ireland. Ther swashbuckler managed 151 runs in the white-ball rubber and was also named Player of the Series.
Matches
2⃣ Matches
1⃣5⃣1⃣ Runs
@HoodaOnFire put on a stunning show with the bat & bagged the Player of the Series award as #TeamIndia completed a cleansweep in the 2-match T20I series against Ireland. 👍 👍
#IREvIND https://t.co/UuBKCx1HNj
Kaneria mentioned that Hooda has been growing in confidence. He also highlighted how the batter was able to dominate the opposition bowlers in both the fixtures.
He added:
"Deepak Hooda is in tremendous form. He was very impressive in the first game as well. The knock he played today against Ireland was quite magnificent. He played really well with Sanju Samson. He is becoming a more confident player now."
Hooda hit a stunning century to help India register an imposing total of 225 on Tuesday. He scored 104 runs off just 57 deliveries in the encounter. India secured a stunning 2-0 series win over Ireland by winning the 2nd T20I by four runs.