How Does Sanju Samson Have All The Flair To Be The Next Rohit Sharma Of India?

Muskaan Bhatt

Sanju Samson with Rohit Sharma during India's victory parade in 2024 (@SanjuSamsonFP)Sanju Samson with Rohit Sharma during India's victory parade in 2024 (@SanjuSamsonFP)

The resurgence of Sanju Samson in international cricket closely resembles Rohit Sharma's situation at the start of his career. Like Rohit, who was talked about as a future talent but failed to sustain consistency in his early days, Samson has had his fair share of ups and downs. 

Rohit's fortunes turned when Dhoni moved him up the order in 2013, and his natural self started flowing out through scores. Similarly, for the Kerala-born batter, the change may have arrived in the form of a clear perspective and support he is receiving from the management.

Like Rohit, Samson has all the ingredients to be a champion for India's limited-overs squad. If he is well supported, he can become one of the best batters India has ever produced. In this piece, let us take a close look at the similarities between Sanju Samson and Rohit Sharma:

1) Sanju Samson's Breakthrough

Just like the 2013 Champions Trophy, a defining moment in Rohit's career, the ongoing India Tour Of South Africa is a glory period for Sanju Samson. Becoming the first Indian to slam back-to-back centuries in T20Is, Samson has forced people to wake up and witness his rise. 

Sanju has been a player full of potential, but somehow, the timing was just never accurate. From 2021 to 2023, Sanju played a total of 17 T20Is however failed to get past the 291-run mark. But, in just one year, 2024, Sanju Samson has already slammed 327 runs from 10 games for India and not to forget his best-ever IPL season, scoring 531 runs.

2) Clarity in the Batting Order

Earlier in his career, Rohit was often moved up and down the order until he realised he was meant to open for India. Similarly, Sanju Samson's recent clarity in the batting order has been a significant factor in his leap. Over the years, the Rajasthan Royals captain has batted at six different numbers for India. 

However, Samson had recently revealed that India's T20 skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, showed faith in him and backed him to open in the next seven games for India. That belief has struck a chord in Samson, who has not stopped showing excellence ever since.

Sanju, who was not a part of India's 2024 World Cup winning squad, returned to play against Zimbabwe and smashed a commanding half-century first. He followed that up with a gritty century against Bangladesh and then again against South Africa. Hence, perhaps the clarity given to Sanju is the biggest reason behind a more consistent side of Samson.

3)  How Samson's Game Mirrors Rohit Sharma's Style

Lastly, Rohit and Sanju might have been born in different parts of the country. However, there are too many similarities in their game. Talking specifically about their technical similarities, Samson, too, poses a strong back foot game like Rohit Sharma. Like Rohit, Samson can control the ball and play with power off the back foot, mainly when dealing with short-pitched deliveries. 

Additionally, Samson possesses the same elegance and composure against pace bowling as Rohit, making him a formidable hitter of fast bowlers. His ability to quickly clear the boundary, combined with his timing and placement, mirrors Rohit's aggressive style.