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Cricket Players'Sanju bats out of position for India, but he's ideally suited to...': Sangakkara's verdict on where Samson should bat
Kumar Sangakkara spoke in detail about Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper-batted is named in India's T20I squad for the series against Sri Lanka.
The T20I series against Sri Lanka – that begins on January 3 – sees a return of Sanju Samson to the squad. The wicketkeeper-batter had been a part of the ODI series against New Zealand but missed out on the next limited-overs series in Bangladesh; however, Samson will be eyeing at capitalising on the opportunities in the upcoming three-match series at home, where the side takes the field under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya.
Over the past few years, Samson was given scattered chances in the playing XI across both formats. However, in the Indian Premier League with Rajasthan Royals, Samson produced consistent performances, largely batting at no.3 for the side – while also leading them to the final of the tournament in the 2022 edition. However, his head coach at the franchise, Kumar Sangakkara believes that no.4 is the best-suited role for the wicketkeeper.
“He's ideally suited at no.4 in T20 cricket, coming in after the first seven overs are done,” Sangakkara told Sports Today.
“He can bat anywhere; I think in India, when he plays, he has to bat out of position. He has power, he has got touch, he has got a great temperament, good head on his shoulders. He understands how to navigate difficult situations. You can slot him anywhere and he will do well,” the former Sri Lanka captain further added.
Samson has made 11 appearances in ODIs, and 16 in T20Is for the national team so far. He boasts of a terrific average of 66 in the fifty-over format; largely playing the role of a finisher in T20Is, Samson has a strike rate of 135.15 in the format.
His last T20I appearance came in August 2022 during a bilateral series against the West Indies. With Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant being the key wicketkeepers for the side in the build-up to the T20 World Cup, Samson had missed out on a place in the squad for the marquee tournament.
