Sanju Samson’s vocal, massive fan base is impressive, given that he is not a regular in the India squad. His supporters were up in arms, not for the first time, when Samson was not included in the 2023 ODI Asia Cup squad. The wicketkeeper-batter will travel with the team as just a back-up player, as K.L. Rahul is carrying a niggle (unrelated to his original injury).
It now appears that Samson’s prospects of making it to the 2023 Cricket World Cup are slim to none. The selectors have made this clear by excluding Samson to accommodate a returning Rahul and Ishan Kishan. Rahul makes his comeback from injury, and will don the role of wicketkeeper-batter. Kishan has been named as the second wicketkeeper, sending Samson down the hierarchy.
It can be argued that Rahul is being rushed into action too quickly. The tried-and-tested policy which required a player to prove his fitness in domestic cricket before making a comeback has not been followed for Rahul. To make matter worse, Rahul was not in the best of form before the injury hit as well.
A few days ahead of the Asia Cup team announcement, former India head coach Ravi Shastri explained that Rahul is not ready for the rigours of international cricket. “You are talking of a player (K.L. Rahul) who has not played and is recovering from injury. To think of him in the playing eleven of the Asia Cup — you’re asking a little too much of him. And then you’re talking about him keeping wicket. When a guy returns from an injury, the range of movement and other things… That’s a no no,” Shastri said in a Star Sports panel discussion video.
The selectors were also not convinced that Samson can fit in as a specialist batter, despite his terrific ODI record. The aggressive Kerala cricketer holds an average of 55.71 in 13 ODIs — a statistic that would normally guarantee a spot in most teams. Instead, it is Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma who have got the nod.
The faith shown in Suryakumar is not without risk, given that the Mumbaikar is yet to adapt to the demands of 50-over cricket. Suryakumar is no doubt an asset in the shortest format, but his low scores in ODIs indicate that he is still a work in progress.
Tilak, meanwhile, is riding high on his good returns in the T20I series against West Indies recently. The southpaw, yet to earn an ODI cap, cut a composed figure on his maiden international appearance. Tilak, however, failed in the most recent T20Is in Ireland, falling for 1 and 0.
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar sees the long-term potential in Tilak. “In West Indies, we saw some real promise in terms of not just performances but the temperament. And it gives us an opportunity to take him with the team, give him some more exposure. A left-hander again; looks very promising. Fortunately we can take 17 here, it’ll be 15 at the World Cup. So when the time comes we’ll take that decision, but at the moment it at least gives the coach and captain an opportunity to have him with the squad,” Agarkar said.
Like Rahul, Shreyas is back in action after an injury layoff. The middle-order batter is faced with the tough task of hitting the ground running in Sri Lanka in order to make the cut for the World Cup.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra is among the many who sympathise with Samson’s fans. “Sanju Samson’s fans and Sanju Samson himself might consider themselves slightly unlucky because his performances are good in ODIs. He has an average of over 50 and he scored a fifty in the West Indies also. There is no doubt that he plays well,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra believes that Samson should be the second-choice wicketkeeper after Rahul. “My initial thought was that if a wicketkeeper has to play in the middle order, Sanju Samson is definitely the second option after K.L. Rahul. However, if a place can be created as an opener, then Ishan Kishan, without a shadow of doubt is your second wicketkeeper,” Chopra said.
Samson’s own form suggests that he has not made a strong enough case to force a place in the national team. In the two ODIs against West Indies, Samson made 9 and 51, followed by scores of 7 and 12 on the two occasions he got to bat in the T20I leg.
On the Ireland tour, Samson scored 40 in the second T20I. In the absence of a few big knocks, he gave room to the selectors to look the other way.
Samson’s reputation as a maverick could be held against him. He is notoriously inconsistent, alternating between brilliant and mediocre. This was best exemplified in the 2019 Vijay Hazare trophy, when he struck a record-breaking unbeaten 212 against Goa in Bengaluru, only to fall for 15 and 0 in the next two outings. Speaking to The Hindu at the end of that tournament, Samson did not hesitate to admit that he did not care to earn the ‘Mr. Consistent’ tag.
“Everyone says I need to be consistent, but if you want me to be consistent, I have to change my game. I will never do that. I’m happy to score double hundreds every 10 innings rather than scoring 40s and 50s,” Samson had stated.
“I’m positive and dominant, so there is a bigger risk of getting out. I’m okay with that. I don’t like to stay at the crease for a long time and take up a lot of balls,” he added.
Samson has retained this hit-or-miss approach as the years have passed. At present, the misses have taken over.
