IPL 2021: ''He is their senior statesman and needs to make those contributions count''- Shaun Pollock on Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson managed a 5-ball 4 against the Punjab Kings on Tuesday [Image-IPLT20]

Former South African seamer Shaun Pollock has opined that being a senior statesman in the Rajasthan Royals setup, their IPL captain Sanju Samson needs to make his contributions count.

Samson got off to a poor start to the UAE leg of the 14th season of the IPL. The enigmatic right-hander managed a 5-ball knock of just 4 runs against the Punjab Kings before he nicked a delivery to KL Rahul.

Speaking on CricBuzz Live, Pollock said:

"He is class, the one innings (119 off 63 vs Punjab Kings) at the start of this IPL was fantastic. And they definitely need more from him, particularly missing some of their key players. He is their senior statesman and needs to make those contributions count."

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Samson started off the season with a brilliant century against the Punjab Kings in an eventual match-losing cause. However, he has since failed to cross the 50-run mark. Samson has registered a few 40s but has failed to convert them into big scores. In 8 innings, the Kerala cricketer has managed 281 runs at an average of 40.14 and a strike rate of 144.10.

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I think the break came at a good time for him: Shaun Pollock on Sanju Samson

One of the constant themes with Samson over the years has been his penchant to play high-risk shots during the initial phase of his innings. Pollock believes that if the 26-year-old can cut down on the risk shot percentage, it will help him bring some consistency into his game. He said:

"I think sometimes he is a guy who takes on 80% risk, if he can just restrict it, saying, 'I'll take on a 50% risk shot rather than the 80% one, he's got a chance If coming off. Let's hope that is something he has learnt."

The legendary seamer signed off by stating that the break Sanju got due to the abandonment of the IPL back in May came at a good time for him as it would have helped him reassess things. He added:

"I think the break came at a good time for him as it would have allowed him to reassess and now back and try and get things right."

While Samson had a forgettable outing with the bat in the ongoing game against Punjab, he will hope that he ends up on the winning side.