Sanju Samson has been a standout performer for IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals over the years. Despite his consistent form in the IPL, Samson’s international career has yet to take off due to inconsistent performances.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | SR | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | 167 | 4419 | 30.69 | 138.96 | 119 |
| T20Is | 28 | 444 | 21.14 | 133.33 | 77 |
However, the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the Indian team could change Samson’s fortunes. Gambhir has always been supportive of the talented wicket-keeper batsman, despite his limited opportunities in the national side.
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Gambhir takes over as the India coach following Rahul Dravid’s successful tenure, with his first assignment being the away series against Sri Lanka starting on July 27.
The BCCI recently announced the squad for the series, with Samson making the fifteen-man T20I squad led by Suryakumar Yadav with Shubhman Gill as his deputy.
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Will Sanju Samson receive more opportunities under Gautam Gambhir?
Gambhir has consistently backed Samson, even during his lean patches. The former cricketer has praised Samson’s batting abilities, considering him one of India’s top T20 players.
Old tweets from Gambhir praising Samson have resurfaced since his appointment as head coach, indicating a potential boost for Samson, especially in T20Is.
In one tweet, Gambhir stated, “Sanju Samson doesn’t need to be the next anyone. He will be ‘the’ Sanju Samson of Indian cricket.”
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The old tweets of Gautam Gambhir on Sanju Samson pic.twitter.com/aSE7O3OGBr
— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) July 20, 2024
India’s squad for Sri Lanka tour
T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.
ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.