Bharath Ramaraj in Dubai
No one knows what might happen the next day. Not even what lies ahead the next minute. Those ifs and buts are a microcosm of life that never seem to go away. Sanju Samson, India’s wicketkeeper-batter, might be having such thoughts in the caverns of his brain. Here’s a cricketer who has notched up three T20I hundreds in the shortest format in the last 12 months. Yet, with Shubman Gill being picked in India’s T20I squad, there are discussions surrounding his place, ahead of India’s Asia Cup clash against the UAE, on September 10.
At around 5.15 PM local, at the ICC Academy, when Samson walked out to take part in wicketkeeping drills, there seemed to be a touch of calm countenance about his demeanour. He took a few high catches as well as low ones, without any real discomfort. As your eyes started to zoom in on other players’ net sessions, Samson disappeared from sight.
Instead, all attention zeroed in on Jitesh Sharma. It was his turn to brandish his willow in one of the main nets. Jitesh, renowned for his pyrotechnics, seemed to be more intent on getting a feel of his batting rhythm. The big shots were largely reserved for Hardik Pandya, who essayed some eye-catching lofts.
Meanwhile, for yours truly, it was back to pondering along the lines of – ‘Where is Sanju Samson?’. After a while he did emerge from the dressing room at the ICC Academy and took some throwdowns. However, not in one of the main nets. Perhaps Samson thought he had enough of batting practice during one of the previous days where he thwacked sixes. Or it could be an indicator of Jitesh’s inclusion in the Indian playing XI.
Ideally, if Samson has to be a part of the XI, then it is at the top of the order. The elegant batter likes to take the ball on the rise, best suited to bat against the new ball. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that all of Samson’s T20I tons have come at the top of the order. At the same time, Jitesh has gained some recognition for his hitting prowess down the order.
With Gill all set to take over the mantle of opening the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, the only available slot for Samson is at number 3. However, will the Indian think-tank demote the incumbent Tilak Verma to 5? After all, the left-hander averages over 55 and has a strike rate of nearly 170 at that position.
The three-pieced jigsaw puzzle exemplifies the kind of bench strength that India possesses. It isn’t Gill’s fault either as he was in fine form in the IPL. He was also the vice-captain of the T20I side last year before being asked to concentrate on the other two formats. But just for a moment, pause and think of Samson – Three T20I hundreds in the last one year and still unsure of his place. Maybe, in an imaginary land, Samson continues to get rid of all the seeds of doubt with the help of a large container.
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