'That's why he has not been featuring in the Indian team': Sunil Gavaskar identifies the 'problem' with Sanju Samson

IPL 2021: Sunil Gavaskar has expressed disappointment with Sanju Samson as the Rajasthan Royals captain, once again, failed to get a good score.

Sunil Gavaskar does not mince words. The former India captain has expressed disappointment with Sanju Samson as the Rajasthan Royals captain, once again, failed to get a good score in Match 16 of the IPL 2021 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Samson, who began the season with a superlative century against Punjab Kings, scoring 119 in a losing cause, followed it with low scores of 4, 1 and 21.

Sunil Gavaskar is not impressed with Sanju Samson. (Twitter/Getty)

Against RCB on Friday, with RR reduced to 18/3, Samson got a start, hitting two boundaries and later a six off Washington Sundar, before perishing the next ball, out lobbing a simple catch to opposition skipper Virat Kohli at mid-wicket. Gavaskar was not pleased with Samson's low scores, calling his inconsistency a problem for him and the team.

"First and foremost, the captain has to stand up and deliver. He did it in the first game but that has been the problem with him. That is one of the reasons why he has not been featuring in the Indian team is that he scores runs in one game and then he looks to do it and carry on as if he’s batting in the next game from the same game, and that's how he keeps getting out," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

Gavaskar added that Samson scoring is imperative to RR's chances of getting a good total, believing that the captain is a key member of their top order, especially now that Ben Stokes has been ruled out due to a broken finger. Because the Royals have no designated finisher, Gavaskar feels Samson getting runs becomes all the more crucial.

"So therefore, I think if the captain leads by example, the captain scores runs because he is the one class act in the team… yes there is David Miller, there is Chris Morris who can come in and smash a few but at the top of the order, they need to get it right because what happens is that they have a little problem at No 5, 6 and 7. They don't really have any finishers and that is the reason it is so important that the captain at the top of the order gets you lots of runs," Gavaskar pointed out.