Sanju Samson in ‘Do-or-Die’ Spot After Poor Performance: Sanju Samson, the batter in T20I internationals, is running out of time. Even with all of his followers’ social media protests for justice, the performances are simply falling short. What other explanation is there for two consecutive ducks, particularly considering the slim likelihood of making the starting eleven? In the second T20I, a golden duck was followed by another zero in four balls. If you were Samson, those are not the kinds of results one would anticipate from someone who has been involved in the Indian team circuit for ten years.
While it’s true that Samson hasn’t received as many opportunities as former India bowler Tinu Yohanan, who has also received regular and frequent chances? Samson was kept off the pitch for the entirety of India’s T20 World Cup matches, but the management was able to justify this choice when India emerged victorious with Rishabh Pant in the starting XI. And although he performed admirably in his lone Zimbabwean innings, Sri Lanka has been an utter disappointment. Samson, who replaced Rishabh Pant on Tuesday after Shubman Gill was hurt, was clean bowled the first ball after slicing to Chamindu Wickramasinghe in the second Twenty20 International.
Samson finds himself in a situation where every game could be his last as Yohanan presses him, and in all honesty, where is the lie?
“He had his stage debut approximately ten years ago, and he has since played occasionally. He never received a lengthy run. For him, every game is a game of do-or-die. When he steps up to bat, he finds himself in pressure circumstances nearly all the time. Somewhere along the road, we have to give him a long run. The former Kerala pacer told RevSportz, “He needs support.”
Remarkably, Samson appears less foolish when he plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Samson typically lights up the IPL but falls short of replicating it, call it the obligation of leading the squad or anything. Each hitter on the Indian club has contributed a couple standout hits. Sadly, Samson can’t recall any, with the exception of the century he scored against South Africa in Paarl earlier this year. And Samson needs to improve in this area.
“He is aware of his responsibilities at Royals. He is also aware that failure is irrelevant. I am aware that he finds it quite challenging to play for the Indian squad for an extended period of time, particularly since Rishabh Pant has returned. Yohanan continued, “But eventually, he needs to be given a long run.
Samson is conscious of the intense competition vying for his roster spot. Samson’s primary competitor is himself because Rishabh Pant is the team’s front-runner to be the wicketkeeper, and there are other players like Jitesh Sharma and Ishan Kishan in the wings.
“He doesn’t put a lot of strain on himself. He is a free-thinking individual. He is the type of person who does best in an environment free from restrictions and free to express himself. He was left out of the ODI squad despite scoring a century in his most recent match (against South Africa). He no longer gives it a lot of thought at this point. He simply moves from game to game.”
