How long will Sanju Samson wait?

image-lfjg8ui3Sanju Samson celebrating a wicket (Twitter/@cricbuzz)

Sanju Samson is everywhere these days! In news debate, on social media trends, memes and what not. However, one place where he truly belongs and would love to be part of than anywhere else is - The Indian Cricket Team! 

The whole world seem to be advocating for Sanju's inclusion in the Indian team but the Rajasthan skipper has been ignored by selectors time and again when it comes to his selection in the full-strength Indian squad. The man played almost regularly in ODI cricket in 2022 when all the eyeballs were on T20 cricket and T20 World Cup and now when the 50-over World Cup is around the corner, he finds no place in the ODI side.

There has been a lot of talk over the years that Sanju has talent but he lacks consistency. Something which has not been the case in ODI cricket, where he averages 66  in 11 games and played some crucial knocks coming into bat in the lower-middle order. 

The truth is that, Sanju Samson has evolved and matured beautifully in the last few years. Probably, the responsibility of being a leader of Rajasthan Royals has brought more maturity in his game. He has scored over 450 runs in the IPL in the last two seasons while in the 6 T20Is he played for India in 2022, he played some eye-catching knocks including a superb 77 off 42 balls when he got to open against Ireland.

So, from what these stats suggest, Sanju has surely shown the consistency in the last couple of years in the limited opportunities he has got. However, the perception of Sanju being an inconsistent performer still stays in the Indian cricketing circles.

The Initial Euphoria to a lost talent

The journey has been a long one for Sanju Samson. He emerged as a teenage sensation in 2012 and became one of the few players who played two U-19 World Cups. 

The year 2014 was his breakthrough year. He scored heavily in the 2014 U-19 World Cup and talk of him being a next Indian cricket superstar started going rounds. During the same time, he made lot of big players take notice of his talent by playing some mesmerising knocks for Rajasthan Royals. 

All this culminated into his maiden Indian call-up when he was selected for the the white-ball leg of England tour in 2014. Though he did not play any game and after playing a solitary T20I against Zimbabwe in 2015, got the chance to play for India only in 2020.



During those five years, most of his peers and players younger than him played for India and made their name, while Sanju Samson was nowhere in the picture. He still was a decent run-scorer in the IPL but this was the period when the perception of being an inconsistent batter started growing.

However, as mentioned before, Sanju has shown some great maturity in the last couple of years and it is high time we back a talent like him. He is still 28 and has lot of cricket still left in him. If Indian selectors can show the same faith for Sanju Samson that has been shown for the likes of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant in the past because of their sheer talent, he can be a big asset for Indian cricket going forward.

A case for a spot in the 2023 World Cup

Shreyas Iyer has suffered another back injury and there is still suspense on how long he will be out of action. Pant is already out and with Suryakumar Yadav struggling to get into his groove in ODI cricket, India need to find back-up options for the all-important number 4 spot.

The confusion over number 4 spot cost India heavily in the 2019 World Cup and India can't afford the same mistake again. Sanju Samson with his performance in ODIs in 2022 surely deserves a look in and with his experience of batting in the top order, he surely knows how to construct his innings. Also, everyone knows how dangerous and brutal he can be when he gets going and can be a perfect fit for the number 4 spot with a mix of caution and aggression.

So, will Indian selectors and team management find a place for Sanju? The man surely deserves at least one chance to make his claim. Let's see how the Sanju Samson story unfolds...