Sanju Samson has been in very poor touch in the ongoing series against NZ, where he has failed to be promising. Indian cricketing legend WV Raman has pointed out the flaws in Sanju Samson’s batting and what he needs to change in his approach before the World Cup.
India have been consistently winning games in the T20 format ever since the ICC T20 World Cup. They quickly moved on from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as people started taking over the legacy in the 20-over format.
However, despite winning, India have undergone several changes, and the most frequent changes have been marked in the batting order. Several batsmen have been tried out by Gautam Gambhir, and he is yet to find a promising and consistent opening pair, with just 10 days remaining for the World Cup.
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Sanju Samson has been in very poor touch in the NZ series
India were facing the heat from the fans for having dropped Sanju Samson from the Indian T20I playing XI, as they picked Jitesh Sharma as the wicket-keeper and lower-order batter from the Australia series. Samson was benched for nearly 6 games before being brought back into the side.
Sanju Samson played the final match of the South Africa series, where he gave India a good start with fellow opener Abhishek Sharma. However, he has lacked form severely in the NZ series, where he amassed just 16 runs in 3 games.
Samson has failed to give starts to India in this series, while Ishan Kishan is his nearest competitor and has been in great touch. He has mesmerised the fans and cricket pundits with his captivating performance.
“Variations in pace have troubled Sanju Samson,” WV Raman opines on Samson’s recent struggles
In an interaction with PTI, former India opener WV Raman, one of the most distinguished voices in the nation, when it comes to batting technique. He has identified that Sanju has struggled against variations in pace.
“Sanju has a bit of a problem both on the technical and mindset fronts. The bat speed on his downswing is the same for bowlers with different speeds. It will fetch him success against bowlers in the 130 kmph mark.
“But anything above or less than the 130 kmph mark, with variations in pace either way, will create an issue. The solution is to adjust his bat speed on the downswing according to the pace of the ball. Once he does that, he should be alright,” Raman said when asked about whether the problem is of a technical nature or it is the mindset.
Raman rules out a batting order change as the possible disruption for Samson’s rhythm
WV Raman has, on a further note, ruled out the possibility of his rhythm being disturbed after he was slotted in the middle order. He rather felt that the players of this generation often like to be on the flexible front.
“In the T20Is, he is suited for the top three, and he shouldn’t have any issues on that front because that is where he can perform at his best. These days, these boys talk about adaptation and being able to bat anywhere.
“There shouldn’t be a problem unless you are sent extremely down the order,” Raman said.
He also pointed out how the excessive competition for the role of wicketkeeper-batter in the white-ball side might have challenged him mentally. Raman believed that he had enough talent in store for them and was a capable player to deliver for India, but he had probably failed due to excessive pressure.
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