Coming into the Asia Cup with the inclusion of Shubman Gill in the squad, there was speculation whether Sanju Samson would make it into the playing XI. However, after the first game against the UAE on Wednesday, the dust has settled down as the keeper-batter found his spot in the middle order. Will he play as a finisher or come in if an early wicket falls in the powerplay? Only time will answer, but former Indian off-spinner R Ashwin predicted that Samson could be used as a powerplay enforcer if a wicket were to fall early, and also revealed how Gautam Gambhir assured him that even if he gets dismissed for 21 ducks, he will get the 22nd game.
“I am surprised, but happy and pleasantly surprised with the backing that Sanju is getting. The kind of care the coach and captain are taking of him, it’s amazing. Suryakumar said at the press conference that ‘we are looking after him’ and that is visible. If Sanju has to play, he has to be a powerplay enforcer. If a wicket falls in the powerplay, then Sanju goes in,” Ashwin said on Ash ki baat.
“This is project Sanju Samson. When I interviewed him, he revealed that Gautam Gambhir told him that even if he makes 21 ducks, he will be picked for the 22nd game. That is the confidence that the coach and Suryakumar have given him. It is clear that the team management believes in what Sanju Samson brings to the table. They are willing to do this sort of a thing to make a place for him. Amazing.”
Sanju Samson, after his ton against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, speaking to the press, said he wondered if he would get another chance after the two ducks he bagged against Sri Lanka in July 2024.
“Like I was in doubt after a couple of ducks in Sri Lanka will I be getting a chance,” said Samson after the third T20I. “Mentally you go through a lot as an individual as an Indian cricketer, especially in this format where failures are much higher than success as a batsman you have to keep being aggressive and keep looking at the scoring options. The risk is high and when the risk is high there are a lot of failures also.”
However, the centurion would credit the team management for showing faith and backing him. “The captain and the coach have been backing me like anything. In the next series but they backed me and kept saying we will keep backing you no matter what. I think we are committed as a batting group to go out and dominate every opposition.”
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