Sadly, Sanju Samson suffered yet another defeat in the second One-Day International (ODI) against South Africa in Gqeberha on December 19. His comeback to the field proved to be less than spectacular following his injury during the 2023 World Cup. After retiring from cricket as a player, Simon Doull, a commentator, examined Sanju Samson career and pointed out a troubling pattern in his dismissals.
Despite managing just 12 runs off 23 balls, the 29-year-old was once again victim of a familiar pattern and his inability to establish consistency at the crease. Attempting to shuffle away and then nicking the ball onto his stumps, Simon Doull noted, was a common technique error that was reflected in his dismissal. This method appeared out of place on a difficult pitch that offered movement for the ball, even though it would be effective in more favorable circumstances.
True, he hasn’t had a very long run, but he has gotten chances in consecutive games. Sanju Samson’s dismissal was rather standard. He manages to escape situations when he shouldn’t, you know. He is performing an off-body shuffle. That is something we commonly witness. Simon Doull claimed in an interview with Star Sports that it’s acceptable to play away from your body on Indian surfaces when the ball isn’t doing much.
However, that kind of shot—in which the bat angle is 45 degrees—is rather dangerous as it nips around a bit. Not a traditional straight bat shot, either. That’s why I believe people get annoyed with Sanju—he kind of wants that wand outside the line of off-stump way too often,” he continued.
When opportunity comes knocking, Sanju Samson is inconsistent.
Samson’s inconsistency, particularly during the previous West Indies tour, when he managed just one significant score, heightened the argument about his place in the Indian squad. Right-handed hitter Chris Gayle’s spot in the starting lineup is in jeopardy because to the strong performances of wicketkeepers KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan in previous games.
The Kerala batsman has only appeared in 15 ODIs and 24 T20Is for India, despite having great potential. These are small sample sizes. He averages less than 20 in T20I, which is concerning, but he has shown promise in 50-over cricket, with an average of 50.25 and a strike rate of 101.
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