Sanju Samson’s international and India career is currently hands at a standstill. The superstar Kerala cricketer last played in a T20I for India on January 3rd this year, injuring himself in a match against Sri Lanka which forced him to miss that series and the T20I series against New Zealand, as he made his comeback in the IPL 2023.
While Sanju Samson is likely to find a place in India’s T20I team for the West Indies, fans reckon he should also get a comeback in the ODI side, especially now that KL Rahul is unavailable due to a thigh injury.
Sanju Samson was dropped from the ODI squad last year, with his last ODI coming in New Zealand, in November 2022. He then was dropped for the Bangladesh series, followed by missing ODIs against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Australia.
However, Sanju Samson deserves a comeback in India’s ODI squad for West Indies tour in July because:
Sanju Samson has a terrific ODI record
It would be a shame if Sanju Samson won’t be allowed to add more matches to his short career of 11 ODIs, because he has some terrific numbers to show in his brief ODI career so far. In 10 ODI knocks, Samson has cracked 330 runs at a sensational average of 66 and a brilliant strike rate of 104 with a couple of fifties to his name, with a best of 86.
India need a finisher in the absence of Rishabh Pant; also, Kishan not a good choice for a middle-order keeper spot in absence of KL Rahul
In the West Indies ODIs, India will be missing two of their key middle-order batters and keepers: Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. Sanju Samson is someone who can fill the role.
Samson has remained not out 5 times in 10 ODI knocks and that boosted his average, but it also indicates his terrific prowess as a finisher. Known for his fast starts, fearless and aggressive strokeplay, Samson has an stunning record in the middle-overs: average of a 130 and strike rate of 109, and he’s been dismissed only twice in 9 times he’s batted in the middle-overs in ODIs. This shows that Samson has both the adaptability and the power-game to help India in the middle-overs.
