Last Updated on 9 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Should India persist with Sanju Samson going forward? | Sanju Samson continues to promise plenty but not quite deliver the goods: should India persist?
India is a country of over one billion people, and cricket is the most celebrated sport in this country. So many youngsters aspire to represent the national side but a few of them actually get a chance to wear the blue jersey with pride.
Sanju Samson is one of those fortunate to have represented India in international cricket. However, he somehow he has not been able to cement his place due to ordinary returns in his limited opportunities to date. Fortunately for him, he was recalled into the national side to play the limited overs series in Sri Lanka in the absence of the first choice players.
With the T20 World Cup around the corner, this T20I series against Sri Lanka holds significant importance for Samson. If he performs admirably, he will pose a strong case for his inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad. However, if he does not deliver, will management persist with him?
Let’s find the answer by considering several factors in detail.
Numbers don’t match his potential
The first question is what Samson offers to any T20 side. The answer is simple. He is a hitter of supreme calibre, and has a naturally aggressive intent which is an asset for any T20 team. He can turn the tide of the match on his own when he is on song, and has proved this in several IPL and domestic games.
However, the question arises of how frequently he serves justice to his immense potential. He has been an inconsistent performer in the T20 format despite the ability to strike effortless and nonchalant sixes. Being a 178-match batsman, he averages just 27.6 with a strike rate of 130.5 in T20s. These ordinary numbers don’t reflect his potential at all. His consistency has been a glaring issue and has proved to be one of the major reasons for him not being able to stabilize himself in the Indian batting lineup, especially with positions open over the past few years.
Where does Sanju Samson bat in India’s T20 XI?
The next factor that I have considered is the role the Indian team has to offer to Samson and whether he is a necessity in the playing XI now. The Indian team has at least 3 to 4 batsmen reserved for the top order in the playing XI. The competition for places in the middle order is much tougher now with the emergence of the ever-consistent Suryakumar Yadav. So, if he gets a game, practically he has to play the role of an accelerator down the order even though he mostly bats at no 3 or 4 in IPL and other T20 games. However, the Indian team has Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja as the accelerators down the order in the first choice XI. So, Samson, even if selected in the World Cup squad, will have to play the role of a reserved player.
Samson is inconsistent, but should India back him anyway?
Now let’s go to the question of our interest, i.e. whether India should persist with an inconsistent performer like Samson heading to the World Cup. In my opinion, Samson hasn’t been given ample chances to prove himself. A mere seven T20I games are not enough to decide whether someone is capable enough or not. However, we can’t blame the selectors for this as India has a huge talent pool and as a player you have to capitalize on every single chance you get at the international level.
India should enable him to bat the way he naturally bats, i.e. aggressively. He doesn’t seem to be an “innings-builder” in the T20I format. So, he can play the role of aggressor down the order and finish things as far as the present situation is concerned. However, it is important then to not focus too much on the average, as batting lower down requires a strong strike rate. That’s the only way he can get into the XI.
Secondly, it’s a matter of time before the World Cup gets under way. So, in such a scenario it will be better for India to prepare a guy having so much potential like Samson to be their backup finisher in the mega event. Also, India can use him at the top or middle, should a need arise. So, it will be such a waste if India doesn’t back Samson anymore.
Samson has age on his side and superb hitting abilities. He is an experienced player as far as T20 format is concerned. It’s always beneficial to have a player like Samson in your squad who has the capacity to play any role. That increases the flexibility of the squad.
Also, he brings the intent into the team, which is definitely a plus on his side. India should judge his intent, not average. Yes, it is true that he has to capitalize on every single chance he gets from now onwards, but even if he fails to deliver, India should back him now at least for the spot of a reserved player in the mega event.
Do you guys think otherwise? Share your thoughts!
Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.
