Former wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has weighed in on Sanju Samson's recent struggles, highlighting his missed opportunities and lack of consistency.
Samson's failure to solidify his position within the Indian team has brought him back under scrutiny following his lackluster performance in the initial two T20Is against the West Indies.
With 19 T20Is under his belt, the stylish wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala has accumulated 320 runs, but his unimpressive average of 18.82 reveals a troubling lack of impact.
Samson was positioned at number 6 in the series opener and was promoted to the fifth spot in the Guyana T20I. Despite these strategic shifts, he failed to make a substantial mark with the bat. This inability to contribute significantly has contributed to India's current 0-2 series deficit.
Sanju Samson hasn't cashed in on the opportunities
Parthiv Patel emphasized that whenever Samson has been omitted from the squad, discussions about him have arisen, yet he hasn't been able to capitalize on the chances presented to him.
Speaking on Cricbuzz after the 2nd T20I between India and West Indies, Patel stated, “Every time India loses, we look at the negative points. Throughout the white-ball series, there has been talk about the need for batters to bat long and it is something that has been missing so far. Every time Samson is not in the squad, we talk about him, but he has not cashed in on the opportunities he has availed of so far. Probably time is running out for him, maybes yes or maybe no.”
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Furthermore, Parthiv Patel noted that Sanju Samson appeared uncomfortable in the first two T20Is. Among the contenders, only Tilak Varma managed to shine thus far in the series. Patel explained, “Samson has been getting a lot of opportunities, to be honest, he is just not making the most of the opportunities that he is getting. There was only one batter who looked comfortable and that was Tilak Varma.”
India faces a pivotal situation, needing to approach the must-win third T20I against the West Indies with the audacity demanded by the shortest format of the game.
Despite the challenging slow pitches, skipper Hardik Pandya pointed out that India should have found ways to secure an additional 10-20 runs. As the team currently trails 0-2 in the five-match series, this match becomes a critical juncture for India to reclaim their momentum against the West Indies, a side they last lost to in a bilateral T20 series in 2016.
