Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that India’s wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s mind is “clouded with a lot of thoughts”, which could be the reason behind his recent struggles in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: “If you are not a good player, you cannot reach here. When your mind is clouded with a lot of thoughts, it gets tough to pick the lengths and lines. I am very certain things are going on in his mind. We cannot make a slot for a player. It is not about running with a player and banking on it. It is also important to tell the player to take a break. Sometimes sitting outside and reflecting can make you a better player. I don’t agree that he should go back to the middle order. You cannot make a slot for a player; then everybody else will also rotate around it.”
After the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Sanju used to open with Abhishek Sharma, and the pair provided many aggressive starts for India. Sanju hit three centuries in 2024.
However, when Shubman Gill was brought back into the T20I setup in 2025, Sanju was shifted to the middle order and eventually lost his place in the team.
Due to inconsistent performances, Gill failed to get selected for the ongoing series and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and as a result, Sanju regained his opening spot.
However, the right-hander’s scores in the ongoing series are 10, six, zero and 24 across four matches.
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