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‘Can’t make same mistake after 10 years. A coach will bang it down your head': Shastri wants Sanju Samson to do well
Having made his India debut in 2015 in the T20I format, Samson has played just 13 matches in the format, along with one ODI appearance.
Sanju Samson has long been touted as the next big name in Indian cricket. He has shown glimpses of his talent through his big knocks in white-ball cricket and has been a regular in the Indian Premier League (IPL), presently leading the Rajasthan Royals (RR) side. However, Samson hasn't quite managed to convert it on the big stage, nor has he managed to show consistency - his two biggest criticism in his career. And on Tuesday, former India head coach Ravi Shastri backed the youngster to have a good IPL 2022 while comparing his ability to that of Virat Kohli.
Having made his India debut in 2015 in the T20I format, Samson has played just 13 matches in the format, along with one ODI appearance. In fact, after his debut, Samson had fallen out of contention and was only recalled to the Indian side in 2020 after an impressive IPL return.
More recently, he has received a stamp of appreciation from India captain Rohit Sharma as well during the home T20I series last month at home.
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Speaking to ESPNCricinfo on Tuesday, Shastri opined that Samson has shown maturity and consistency in his game. The former India all-rounder the pointed out that too many shots in his arsenal has affected Samson's game the most and that he needs to zero in on the shot to improve his performance.
“When I look at him this season, I see a sense of calmness. That maturity has crept in. I just have the feeling that he might have a good one this year. I feel he will be a lot more consistent this season. He has got a side around him that will make him feel relaxed and continue to play his natural game which is to attack and he can score,” he said.
Samson was dismissed for 8 in RR's IPL 2022 match against RCB, which the latter won by four wickets.
“The big problem with him was when a player has too many shots and he wants to play all of them in the first five overs...that's the problem he has. If he can be selective and choose the shots correctly depending on the surface and what the conditions offer, I feel he will be a lot more consistent. He has been around for a long time. You cannot make that same mistake after 10 years and get out at 20-25. You will have a coach that will come and bang it down your head.”
Shastri then picked the aspect that the 27-year-old needs to change in a bid to match his level with that of Kohli in T20 cricket.
“The way you want to see Samson up the ante is by reading the opposition a little more and then comes the choice of shots. Which are the shots that will be more profitable and then you anticipate that from that particular bowler. This is where Kohli is far more mature, disciplined and in control and hence the bigger scores. If Sanju can get that into his game, reading the opposition a little bit more than just see it and hit it, he will get there. Because he can take off.”
