Sanju Samson, the 28-year-old Indian wicket-keeping batter, is facing challenges in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean. In his recent game at Georgetown’s Providence Stadium, he was stumped for a mere 7 runs while attempting to slog Akeal Hosein. This performance raises concerns about his position in the Team India playing XI.
In the first T20I of the five-match series against the West Indies, Sanju Samson’s performance wasn’t much better. He got run out for 12 runs due to a precise direct hit onto the stumps by Kyle Mayers, while attempting a quick single. Sanju Samson’s inconsistency in scoring during T20Is has been a notable issue. As the current captain of the Rajasthan Royals, he has only managed to accumulate 320 runs in 18 innings for Team India, maintaining an average of 18.82.
Following India’s second consecutive T20I loss to the West Indies, former Indian wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel shared his perspective on Sanju Samson’s performance in the national team’s shortest format.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Patel remarked, “After each loss, we tend to focus on the negatives. Throughout the white-ball series, the emphasis has been on batters holding their ground longer, which has been lacking. Whenever Samson is absent from the squad, his absence is discussed, but he hasn’t made the most of the opportunities he’s had so far. It’s possible that time might be running out for him, though that’s uncertain.”
Parthiv Patel also expressed his belief that Sanju Samson has been given numerous chances, but he hasn’t been able to capitalize on them. Patel stated, “Samson has had plenty of chances. To be frank, he simply hasn’t maximized the opportunities presented to him. Among the batters, Tilak Varma appeared to be the only one at ease.”