‘Samson: Chapter 2.0 will be really good’: T20 World Cup-bound India star hails Sanju as ‘extraordinary talent’

Sanju Samson may not be part of Team India's plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup, but the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter showcased his potential in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.

Sanju Samson may not be part of Team India's plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup, but the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter showcased his potential in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, which concluded on Tuesday. He featured in all the three-matches, which saw him accumulate 118 runs.

Sanju Samson plays shot during the first ODI against South Africa (AP)

In all the contests Samson returned unbeaten, with the series opener being the highlight among the three innings he got to bat, which came in a losing cause. Samson had then scored 83 off just 63 balls, dragging India very close to the win, which initially looked like an uphill task. During the course of his inning, the wicketkeeper-batter smoked three sixes and smashed nine boundaries as India fell short by 9 runs.

Impressed with Samson's performance, India star R Ashwin heaped massive praise about the Kerala batter and expected him to draw immense confidence from the outing.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ashwin noted: "I believe this would have given him massive confidence. Sanju is a fantastic player and a very good human being. His personality is such that he has got a very calm demeanor. And of course, he is an extraordinary talent. That's a well-known fact for everyone.

"He almost took the game to a stage where he could have pulled it off. Sanju Samson: Chapter 2.0, going on from here will be really good."

Samson, who is generally seen batting at the top order representing Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, played the finisher role in all the three matches. When asked to him about his new role in the team, Samson in length explained that he has been asked to be ready by the Indian team management to play in every situation.

"I have been practising different types of roles in the last couple of years, I have put in time to understand the types of roles in different teams. I have been given instructions to be ready and do this in the last one year.

"Physically I have been doing a lot of top-order batting, but mentally I am trying to understand the game and how to react according to the situation, a lot of learning has gone into this. It's important to keep the focus on the process, that has been the talk in the team meetings," Samson said ahead of the third ODI, which India won by seven wickets.