"That might pose to be a problem at the start" - Aakash Chopra on Sanju Samson coming into IPL 2023 after injury recovery
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that Sanju Samson's form, especially at the start of the tournament, might be a little rusty as he is just coming off an injury. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain sustained a knee injury while fielding during the first T20I between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this year.
While he has made a full recovery from the injury, he is yet to play a competitive fixture since then.
Several expected him to be called up to the national squad after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the ODI series against Australia due to a back injury. However, the BCCI named no replacements for the middle-order batter, leading to Samson playing directly in IPL 2023.
Speaking about Samson while addressing RR's strengths ahead of the 2023 season, Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel:
"When Sanju Samson plays well, it is pleasing to watch. He is coming off an injury, so he has not played competitive cricket for a while, and that might pose to be a problem at the start. He also led the team well. A lot of credit for Chahal's purple cap must go to Samson. He is a growing maturing captain."
Chopra further reckoned that Devdutt Padikkal will not be able to perform at his best in the middle order. Chopra continued:
"I'm not looking at Devdutt Padikkal coming in at No.4 as a strength. RR have three Indian batters in their top four and that is a good thing, but all of them prefer to open the batting. That's why Padikkal has not been at his best for RR."
The left-handed batter has opened the batting on very few select occasions ever since switching franchises. With the opening partnership between Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal flourishing, Padikkal has had to play at No.4, where he returned with mediocre numbers last season.
Speaking about RR's lower middle order, particularly Riyan Parag's spot in the playing XI, Chopra said:
"RR also have Hetmyer, who did very well last season and plays well against spin. Next is Riyan Parag, again like Jaiswal, he has had a phenomenal domestic campaign. He has played a lot in this tournament so far, but he has failed to bring an impact for the side. So, RR might even try Jason Holder at No.6."
Riyan Parag has had a prolific domestic season for Assam and will hope to translate his form into IPL 2023.
"He has the ability to bat the full 20 overs" - Aakash Chopra on Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler had a phenomenal campaign last IPL season, winning the Orange Cap and playing a crucial role in helping RR coast through the group stage and subsequently into the final as well.
He remains among the first names on the team sheet and is coming off a relatively good campaign for the Paarl Royals at the SA20.
Heaping praise on RR's opening pair of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aakash Chopra said:
"What makes Buttler special is that he takes risk with so much control. High risk and consistency often do not go together, but Buttler is different. Another good thing about him is that if he realises that it is not his day, he takes time to settle down and then explodes. He has the ability to bat the full 20 overs."
Chopra continued:
"The other opener would be Yashasvi Jaiswal, much like the last season. Offers the left-hand-right-hand combination as well. His domestic numbers tell the whole story. In fact, seeing his numbers, it is hard to believe that he is not in the Indian team yet. He is a multi-faceted cricketer and is versatile."
Sanju Samson will lead RR in the IPL 2023 campaign, which begins with a contest against the SunRisers Hyderabad on April 2 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
How many runs will Sanju Samson score in IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.