WI vs IND | 'In The Test Team...,' Sunil Gavaskar Fights For Sanju Samson

image-lj9kqrc1Sunil Gavaskar opens up on Rajasthan Royals duo's selections in the Indian team

Former Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar, has heaped praise upon the selectors for their decision to include Sanju Samson in the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series during their tour of the West Indies.


Sunil Gavaskar on Sanju Samson & Yashasvi Jaiswal's selections

However, Gavaskar expressed his belief that Samson could have been added to the team for the two-Test series. The Indian veteran, in his characteristic insightful manner, further expressed his surprise at the absence of Yashasvi Jaiswal from India's ODI squad, despite the young cricketer's remarkable performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

"It's very good to see Sanju Samson in the one-day team because this is again a huge talent and maybe he could have been in the Test team as well. Opportunity is missed over there, but, yes, Yashasvi Jaiswal with his white ball performances is not in the one-day team," Gavaskar told India Today.

The respected commentator went on to highlight Jaiswal's white-ball form and his invaluable contributions, particularly his ability to score a century in a victorious effort during the IPL. He also mentioned the influential mentorship Jaiswal has received from the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Sanju Samson.

"He [Yashasvi Jaiswal] be [looked at in white-ball setup]. With his performances, like in IPL. Getting a century in a winning effort. That is outstanding stuff. Even in the previous season, he scored heavily. Also, with the encouragement he has got with Kumar Sangakkara and Sanju Samson," added the cricketer-turned-commentator.

It is worth noting that Samson scored an impressive 362 runs in 14 matches at a blistering strike rate of 153.39 with three half-centuries. In his international career thus far, Samson has represented India in 11 ODIs, accumulating 330 runs with an impressive average of 66, including two fifties.

On the other hand, Jaiswal's exceptional IPL 2023 campaign saw him score a massive 625 runs in 14 matches at an outstanding strike rate of 148.73. The southpaw notched one century and eight half-centuries during the tournament.

Despite not being included in the ODI squad, Jaiswal's skills were recognized as he was added to India's Test series squad against the West Indies, following his earlier selection as a standby player for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. 

The Rajasthan Royals duo will look to make the most of these opportunities and cement their place in the Indian team by putting in spectacular performances against the Caribbean side.