Caribbean tour chance for Samson to make an India turnaround

His talent has never been in doubt, but the keeper-batter must produce big performances to be in the frame for the ODI World Cup.

Sanju Samson must have lost count of the number of comebacks he’s made to India’s ODI and T20I squads. The 28-year-old, on Friday, returned to the ODI squad for the three-match series in the West Indies from July 27 to August 1. Long considered a generational talent, Samson hasn’t done justice to the lofty expectations he raised a decade ago when he entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a scrawny teenager for Rajasthan Royals.

Sanju Samson has only played 11 ODIs and 17 T20Is for India (Getty Images)

That he’s only played 11 ODIs and 17 T20Is till date is evidence of his career not quite going according to plan. Though he’s made 330 runs at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 104.76 in ODIs, India haven’t fielded their strongest team in these matches. West Indies, currently struggling to come through the ICC World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, aren’t top-notch opponents either.

So, what can Samson gain from playing in a fairly low-profile series in the Caribbean?

Plenty. Unlike some of his earlier gigs, Samson will be part of a full-strength Indian team. More importantly, the 50-over World Cup is less than four months away, lending credence to the cliché that every performance counts from hereon. But what is most important is the wicketkeeping void India’s one-day set-up is currently faced with. Rishabh Pant is injured. Even if he begins training in a couple of months after recovering from the car accident he was involved in last December, he is unlikely to regain match fitness for a gruelling World Cup campaign.

The safer bet is on the injured KL Rahul returning to take up a middle-order spot. Unlike Pant, who hasn’t found his rhythm in the shorter formats, Rahul’s record as wicketkeeper-batter is beyond reproach — he has scored 779 runs in 18 matches at an average of 55.64 and a strike rate of 97.61. Like Pant though, Rahul is currently recuperating from a thigh surgery he underwent in May and the date for his return hasn’t been marked.

So, before Pant or Rahul gets a crack, Samson is likely to get a go. The only other wicketkeeper in the 17-member squad for the Caribbean series is Ishan Kishan. The left-handed batter has scored a double century in ODIs, but what may go against him is the presence of skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top of the order. Samson is a more natural middle-order fit.

“Samson has to make use of every opportunity he gets. He has the talent. We all know that. But he has to make a mark. This is a great opportunity for him,” a top BCCI official said.

Perhaps Rohit can help him. He knows all too well that talent alone can be as much of a curse as a blessing. The expectations soar, and any failure may be perceived as being lazy or not caring enough. In Samson’s case, expectations were thrust upon him as soon as he entered the Rajasthan Royals set-up and caught the attention of Rahul Dravid.

If Samson’s overall record hasn’t yet inspired confidence, it’s also because of how he perceives his role versus how others see it. In T20 cricket in particular, Samson lays emphasis on attacking all the time; consolidation or conservatism is not for him. His priority has always been to seek those extra runs at a fast pace for the team rather than yearn for personal milestones — his strike rate in an IPL season has not slipped below 135 since 2017.

Nothing embodies Samson’s talent more than his handling of pace. Even against the quickest of bowlers, he seems to have that extra notional second to play his shots — a quality that separates the good from the great. It was recognised by Rohit as an attribute that would serve India well during the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.

“That guy (Samson) has got talent, man. I mean whenever we have seen him bat, he has just produced an innings where everyone goes over the moon watching. He has got the skillset to succeed. His back-foot play is superb,” Rohit said last year.

“The pick-up pull, the cut shots, standing and delivering over the bowler’s head... those are not easy to play. And I believe when you go to Australia, you need that kind of shot-making ability. Samson definitely has it in him. I just wish him the best and hope he utilises his potential to the maximum.”

But when the squad was eventually picked, Samson missed out. Because cold numbers are hard to ignore. And Samson’s weren’t up to scratch. If Samson is to avoid that situation come the ODI World Cup, he has to stamp his presence starting from the series in the Caribbean.