Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina expressed strong support for Sanju Samson, emphasizing him as the primary candidate for the dual role of wicketkeeper and batter, labelling him as the essential “X-Factor.” Raina’s endorsement of Samson comes as India has selected both Samson and Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeper-batters for the impending three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.
Notably, Ishan Kishan will not participate in this series, having opted for some rest. Intriguingly, there’s an absence of clarity from the team management regarding the non-inclusion of KL Rahul, a consistent wicketkeeper-batter in One Day International (ODI) matches.
Raina’s inclination towards Samson places him ahead of notable contenders like Rahul and Kishan. Raina made it clear that even if Rishabh Pant, another talented wicketkeeper-batter, is available for selection, his preference would still lean towards Samson.
You cannot sign off Sanju Samson” – Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina said: “You cannot sign off Sanju Samson. The way he scored a hundred against South Africa on the latter’s soil. He plays fearlessly and is a superb wicketkeeper. Samson is also a captain material. He has done well whenever he has got chances.”
“We have some very good options for wicketkeeper-batter role — KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Pant whenever he comes back after getting fit. I prefer to have Sanju in the middle-order because he has a lot of shots. He plays those pick-up shots against pacers from the length. Hopefully, he performs well in the IPL too before the selectors sit down to select the team for the T20 World Cup.”
Furthermore, Raina expressed a cautious outlook for India’s upcoming T20I encounters against Afghanistan, emphasizing the necessity for Indian batsmen to assertively challenge the Afghan bowlers. He implied that securing victory against Afghanistan would require a comprehensive effort from the Indian team, especially in terms of batting prowess, to counter the formidable opposition they are set to face.
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