R Ashwin ends debate on Sanju Samson's place: 'He made 12 out of 12 in the T20I game'

IND vs WI: The 3rd of 5 T20 encounters of the bilateral series between India and the West Indies will take place at Providence Stadium on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Team India, on the other hand, has come under a lot of criticism because of recent outcomes. In their previous game on Sunday, the Hardik Pandya-led team fell short by two wickets after failing to hold the hosts to a 153-run mark.

3 things you need to know 

• India has 2 major tournaments in the upcoming months 
• India will eye its first ICC trophy since 2013
• India lost the WTC Final to Australia

Also Read: IND vs WI 3rd T20I Dream11 Prediction: India-West Indies Predicted XI, Pitch report & more

India eyes for the perfect squad ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup

India is in the vital stages of team selection as the ODI World Cup 2023 draws near. When Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were both purposefully rested for the final two ODIs against the West Indies, it was clear that there was a pressing need to find the correct combination. India lost the second One-Day International despite fielding a side of young players, but they came back strongly to win the third. 

Notably, Sanju Samson played a crucial role in the third ODI and demonstrated his talent by scoring a noteworthy half-century while batting at position four. Ravichandran Ashwin, a seasoned spinner, believes that Samson might not be able to bat in the top four positions for ODIs.

Also Read: 'Give him a break': Wasim Jaffer wants THIS player to be rested vs WI, names replacement

What did R Ashwin say about Sanju Samson?

On his Youtube channel, R Ashwin talked about the possibilities and strategies that India could have in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. When talking about Sanju Samson, he said: 

"Sanju Samson was the other player who had a chance. In the ODI series, he scored fifty runs. He made 12 out of 12 in the T20I game. In the middle-order, he received a role. He typically bats at number three or four in the IPL. However, he has an excellent record in ODIs. He had a very high average and added a fifty in the third ODI. As soon as he entered, he immediately began to spin, which is his speciality. "

"When it comes to Team India, the third and fourth spots are not available. Given Sanju's skill and ability, we are aware that he has the capacity to alter the game's direction at any time. We all want the best for him because he is such a lovely person. But when it comes to Team India, Sanju's role is different from what we anticipate. He is not eligible for the Top 4. We'll have to wait and see if there will be a place for him after the World Cup or one or two years from now.

"Since Virat at three is a fix. Also set as openers are Rohit and Gill. When healthy, Shreyas and KL are also 100% certain. As a fallback, we require a keeper-batter alone. Therefore, if KL or Shreyas are both unavailable, a backup at 4 or 5 is required. Sanju isn't playing that part in the IPL, though. He has already scored a 50 in that capacity, and he is only beginning to play in ODIs. That is wonderful news for both Team India and him. In my opinion, Sanju Samson will be ahead of schedule in terms of the ODI World Cup contingency plan, and Tilak Varma is almost there."

The ICC ODI World Cup will kick off on October 5, 2023, but India will play its first-ever match against Australia on October 8, 2023, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.