In his long-awaited return to the Team India ODI side, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson faced disappointment as he managed just 9 runs in 19 balls against the West Indies. The leg-spinner Yannic Cariah’s spin trickery proved to be his downfall in the second ODI match in Barbados on Saturday.
It was a significant moment for Samson, who hadn’t played an international match in six months since his last T20I appearance in January and his last ODI in November 2022. With senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rested for the 2nd ODI, his fans were hoping for a better performance from him.
Yannic Cariah, playing his 10th ODI match, was the architect of Sanju Samson’s downfall in the 2nd ODI, as Samson became his 11th ODI wicket. Cariah bowled a length delivery that pitched on middle and off and spun significantly.
Samson, caught on the back foot and opening up his front leg, found himself unsure of the shot to play. The ball had bounce and turn, leaving him in a state of confusion, resulting in an edge to first slip fielder Brandon King with a mistimed shot.
Sanju Samson had a short stay in the middle.
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Given the opportunities presented due to injuries to Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, along with Rohit and Kohli’s rest, Samson and his fans were eager for the Kerala star to seize this chance.
However, with his disappointing score of only 9 runs in the 2nd ODI and the return of Rohit and Kohli for the 3rd ODI, it’s highly likely that Samson will be dropped from the next game. Unfortunately, this setback has made it challenging for him to build a compelling case for selection in the squad for the Asia Cup next month.
