It’s never an easy job for a batter to covert the colorful domestic performances in international cricket. Generally, it takes time. But for a quality batter like India’s wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson, the path is too much difficult. For someone who has been scoring truck-loaded runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) finds it so uncomfortable to score runs in international cricket.
Sanju Samson didn’t feature in a single game of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). In two T20I innings in Zimbabwe after the event, he could manage 70 runs at a strike rate of 134.61.
After being dropped from the first T20I of the current series in Sri Lanka, the right-handed batter got an opportunity to play the second game, and he managed a first-ball duck at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
“Each game is like a do-or-die game for Sanju Samson“– Former Kerala Pacer
Since making his debut more than a decade ago, Sanju Samson has been part of only 16 ODIs and 29 T20I games for the Blue Brigade, which shows how inconsistent the wicket-keeper batter has been in his batting performances.
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The former Indian pacer Tinu Yohannan feels that Samson should play every game like a do-or-die clash, given the irregularity in his international career. In a recent interview with Revsportz, the pacer demonstrated what the batter would need to do to get better at this stage.
“He (Sanu Samson) debuted about 10 years ago, and after that, he has been (playing) on and off. He didn’t get a long run at any time. Each game is like a do-or-die game for him.” The former Kerala pacer expressed during the interview. “Almost whenever he walks out to bat, he goes into pressure situations. He has to be given a long run somewhere down the line. He needs backing.”
The Rajasthan Royals captain smashed 531 runs in the recent IPL 2024 in 15 innings, at an average of nearly 50, with a strike rate of over 150, with five fifties. Since 2020, he has managed to collect more than 350 runs in every season of the league.
The 45-year-old pacer also advised the Indian management to provide a long run to the batter at some point in time, as it won’t be easy for him to get regular games with the return of Rishabh Pant.
“At Royals, he (Sanju Samson) knows what his role is. He also knows it doesn’t matter if he fails.” The veteran pacer was observed during the interaction. “I know, in the Indian team it’s very difficult for him to get a long stretch of games, especially now that Rishabh (Pant) has come back. But then, he needs to be given a long run at some point in time.”
When it comes to T20Is, Sanju Samson has collected 444 runs in 25 innings, at an average of just over 20 with a strike rate of 132.93, with only a couple of half-centuries. These numbers are quite contrasting from his T20 numbers, where he has piled up 6791 runs in 264 innings, at an average of 29.27 and a strike rate of 134.66, with 46 fifties and three centuries.
Yohannan suggested the 29-year-old avoid pressure on himself and express himself without any doubts about his abilities.
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“He is not a guy who puts pressure on himself. He is someone who has a free mind. He is someone who excels when there are no strings attached, in an environment where he can express himself.” The pace bowler concluded.
It will be interesting to see if Sanju Samson gets his chance in the final T20I game of the three-match series in Sri Lanka.