Has the time come for Team India to give a continuous run to Sanju Samson in ODIs?

Sanju Samson is one of the most popular cricketers in India despite not being a regular member of the Indian team. Samson has been in and out of the Indian squad ever since he made his international debut way back in 2015. Samson has displayed some brilliant performances in domestic cricket but he has failed to replicate the same at the international level.

Despite this, his fans remain staunch supporters, expressing their dissatisfaction at his lack of playing time compared to some of the other newcomers including Suryakumar Yadav. In the recently-concluded second ODI between India and Australia, Suryakumar was dismissed for a golden duck after being trapped LBW by Mitchell Starc. Suryakumar was removed for zero in the first ODI as well. 

Fans believe that the time has come for the Indian team management to give Samson an extended run at the international level. They want Samson to be included in the Indian ODI squad in place of Suryakumar Yadav, who has failed to replicate his T20 form in 50-over cricket for India. Samson, on the other hand, has performed well whenever he has gotten an opportunity to play in ODIs. 

Sanju Samson's form

In the last 10 ODI innings, Suryakumar has scored 119 runs at a dismal average of 13.22 and with a strike rate of 113.33. Samson, on the other hand, has scored 330 runs at an average of 66.00 and a strike rate of 104.76. 

Samson has played a total of 11 ODIs and 17 T20I matches for India since his debut in 2015. He has scored 330 runs in 50-over cricket at an average of 66.00 and has registered 301 runs in T20Is at an average of 20.06. Samson has two half-centuries in ODIs and one fifty in the shortest format for India. 

Recently, Samson got a chance to play in an ODI game against New Zealand, where he scored 36 runs for the side. Despite putting on a good performance with the bat, Samson was dropped from the subsequent matches against the Kiwis. The 28-year-old returned to play in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 for Kerala, where he showcased some brilliant performances with the bat. 

Image: BCCI