Former Team India captain Kris Srikkanth criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir for his treatment of Sanju Samson in the T20 team. Srikkanth said that despite performing well as an opening batsman, Samson has been wrongly shuffled in the batting order and the team management may also send him to number 11.
Samson had established himself as a reliable T20I opener between July 2024 and the start of the Asia Cup. However, his role changed during the tournament in the UAE, where he was moved out of the starting slot to accommodate the return of Shubman Gill.
Sanju Samson was then moved into the middle order without a confirmed place, batting at No. 5 in three matches and remaining unused in the second despite India losing six wickets.
The boy who is most unlucky is Sanju Samson – Kris Srikkanth
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth called Sanju Samson the “unluckiest player”. The former India captain said that Samson has excelled as an opening batsman with many centuries, but he has no option but to accept the team’s decisions and perform wherever he is asked to bat.
Srikkanth said in his YouTube channel, “The guy who is most unlucky is Sanju Samson. He was scoring centuries as an opening batsman. But now they send him everywhere – from No. 3 to No. 8. If given a chance, they can even send him at No. 11! A guy like Sanju will naturally feel bad after performing so well at the top, but he has no option but to keep quiet and bat wherever the team tells him.” It is not.”
First wicketkeeper for T20 World Cup – Kris Srikkanth
Srikanth said that Sanju Samson performed well while batting in the middle order. He said that Samson is India’s first choice wicketkeeper for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“The only good thing is that he did well at No. 5 in the Asia Cup. It’s a good sign because Sanju is now the automatic choice as the first wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup,” he said.
Sanju Samson, along with Abhishek Sharma, scored three centuries in 13 innings at an average of 37 and a strike rate of 183. However, his numbers dropped after being sent down the order during the Asia Cup.
He scored 132 runs in seven matches at an average of 33 and a strike rate below 125. Samson played a crucial inning of 24 runs in 21 balls to lead India to a tense last over win against Pakistan in the final.
More or less one for the T20 World Cup – Kris Srikkanth
Kris Srikkanth said India’s playing XI for next year’s T20 World Cup will be similar to the one in the first T20I against Australia in Canberra. He mentioned that Hardik Pandya will likely replace Harshit Rana, while the rest of the lineup will remain the same.
“The 11 played today is more or less the same for the T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya will come in for Harshit Rana in the 11. That will be the 11 for the World Cup. Due to the combinations, Arshdeep may have to be out again because we have to play three spinners,” Srikkanth said (via the above source).
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