Will he make it to the Asia Cup? If so, will he get consistent run? Not too long ago, Sanju Samson had all but bid goodbye to the hopes of making it to the 15-member squad of the Continental Cup. However, things changed quickly for Samson with a brisk 26 balls 40 runs in the second T20I against Ireland. The wicketkeeper batter also batted at number four and played attacking cricket.
While that knock came in the T20 format, it has come at the right time just when India are to announce the Asia Cup squad today. Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel will meet at 1:30 today along with Rohit Sharma in New Delhi to pick the squad, and Samson, with this stellar knock against the Irish, has given them already a good headache.
Number four has been a big headache for India in ODIs, and with Shreyas Iyer likely ruled out of Continental out and Suryakumar Yadav failing at number four, Samson might just sneak in.
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Asia Cup: Will Sanju Samson book a ticket for Asia Cup squad?
- Samson last played ODI series against West Indies and scored a solitary fifty in the three innings. However, in the T20 series, he failed to cross 40 in five innings.
- That dismal performance against Windies almost shut the door on Samson. However, against Ireland in the second T20I, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper showed that he can bat at four and drive the game forward.
- In the ODIs, Samson has played 13 matches and has scored 390 runs at an average of 55.71.
- Meanwhile, Suryakumar his contemporary, has fared poorly in ODIs, averaging just 24 in 26 innings scoring just two fifties.
- At this moment, Samson has an edge over Surya in ODIs, but the RR skipper’s selection in the Asia Cup will solely hinge on Shreyas Iyer’s unavailability.
- If Iyer is fit, he will play at number four spot owing to his good track record at number four.
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels Samson will be the ideal option for India to bat at number in ODIs. With no Rishabh Pant in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup, Kishan, Rahul, and Samson are the wicketkeeping options available for India. If Rahul is fit, then he will likely keep wickets and bat at number five Samson can bat at number four if that’s what the management decides.
“If they go with Gill and Rohit Sharma at the top of the order with Sanju Samson at No. 4 as the Indian keeper going into that World Cup. I think he can offer something substantial in that position,” Hogg said.
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