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Former India cricketer and JioStar expert Cheteshwar Pujara has backed Sanju Samson amid concerns over his inconsistency in T20 cricket, saying that a single good innings can help the wicketkeeper-batter regain his form.
Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Out or Not Out', Pujara said fluctuations in form are part of the T20 format and argued that consistency among top-order batters is sometimes overrated. "He is never out of form. The kind of player Sanju Samson has been in the T20 format; his form fluctuates. But it is always a matter of one innings. He plays one good innings, and he is back in form. So, you cannot say that this player is not in form. In the T20 format, you are bound to have failures. Who doesn't get out in T20s? Consistency should be there, but for the top order, I think consistency is overrated in T20s," Pujara said. During the five-match bilateral T20I series against the West Indies, Samson finished as India's second-highest run-scorer. He scored a total of 168 runs, including two half-centuries. Pujara also shared his views on the possibility of Sanju Samson and 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi featuring together in India's playing XI during the upcoming tour of New Zealand during T20I series, stating that the team's combination and conditions could make it difficult for both to play. He said New Zealand's conditions could require India to include more all-rounders, leaving limited room for specialist top-order batters. The five-match T20I series will begin on October 22 in Christchurch. "Vaibhav playing every game seems a bit difficult in New Zealand because there you need more all-rounders, either a spin all-rounder or a seaming all-rounder. So, there you don't need a lot of batters, especially in the top order. Either Sanju Samson can open or Vaibhav. I don't think both can be part of the playing XI in New Zealand conditions," Pujara said. However, he clarified that Sooryavanshi could still get opportunities during the series depending on the team's requirements, playing conditions and player fitness. "So, Vaibhav will have to wait, but he will get opportunities. It's not that he won't play even one match in the entire series. I am not saying that. If the spot opens up for him based on conditions or players' fitness, that's fine. But, both Sanju and Vaibhav cannot be in the playing XI in New Zealand," he added. India will tour New Zealand for a multi-format series, beginning with the T20Is, marking the teams' first multi-format bilateral tour in six years. The tour comes after India's five-match T20I series against the West Indies ended in a 2-2 draw. (ANI)
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