Chetan Sharma has said that Sanju Samson is in the scheme of things for the upcoming T20I World Cup 2022. Sanju Samson last played for the Men in Blue on the Sri Lanka tour in 2021.
BCCI announced the squads for the Test and T20I series against Sri Lanka. While there were no major surprises in the T20I squad, the selectors dropped 4 senior players from the Test team and roped in uncapped spinner Saurabh Kumar for the two-match Test series.
Chetan Sharma: Sanju Samson Is In India’s Scheme Of Things For The 2022 World Cup In Australia
The only major talking point from the T20I squad was the comeback of Sanju Samson, who last represented the Men in Blue on the Sri Lanka tour in 2021. The wicketkeeper-batsman has replaced Rishabh Pant, who has been rested for the T20I series along with Virat Kohli.
Sanju Samson has been a victim of his own inconsistency. He has played 10 T20Is for India since 2015 but has managed just 117 runs at an average of 11.70. He also played 1 ODI scoring 46 in the 2021 Sri Lanka tour.
Sanju Samson’s comeback for the Sri Lanka series isn’t a one-off as chief selector Chetan Sharma has said that he is in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup 2022.
Speaking to the press after the squad announcement, Chetan Sharma said: “Sanju is in our scheme of things. Most importantly we have to see which is a cricketer who will be useful on Australian wickets. He is definitely in our scheme of things [for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year].”
Sanju Samson has been in and out of the team since his return to the national team in 2019. He was dropped during the 2020/21 season and made a comeback to the national side for the Sri Lanka tour, in 2021, where the first-choice players were unavailable for selection.
Sanju Samson Had A Decent Run For Rajsthan Royals In IPL 2021
He was dropped from the squad after the Sri Lankan tour when the seniors returned. He had a decent run in IPL 2021 and scored 484 runs for Rajasthan Royals, striking at 136.72.
With Ishan Kishan not being able to capitalise on the opportunities, the spot for the reserve wicketkeeper is still open and Sanju Samson will have a chance to seal his spot during the Sri Lanka series at home. The three T20Is of the series will be played on February 24, 26 and 27. Following the T20Is, the teams will square off in 2 Test matches.