Sreesanth, the man who gave Sanju Samson his first cap in Ranji Trophy 2011, spoke out about the wicketkeeper’s T20 World Cup snub. He also delivered a powerful message to the 27-year old star.
Sanju Samson(PTI)
Team India is gearing for the T20 World Cup in Australia, which will take place in October-November. The BCCI announced a 15 member squad earlier this month. This tournament previously featured two wicketkeepers, Rishabh Pant (Indian Premier League) and Dinesh Karthik (T20I). While Pant has been an integral part the Indian setup for many years, Karthik made a remarkable comeback in the T20I team after his consistent performances in the 2022 Indian Premier League. The 37-year old has apparently taken over Pant’s role of first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in the Indian playing team XI. However, Sanju Samson, who was discussed in detail prior to the T20 World Cup selection, was not selected. After India’s return to action following the IPL, the Kerala-born batsman was a part the side in several T20I series. However, he only had limited opportunities to play in the playing XI because of Karthik’s rise. Samson did not play in any of the five T20Is against South Africa and only one match in the T20Is in Ireland in June. This was despite being a part of the side in multiple T20I series. However, he was limited in his playing XI role due to Karthik’s return to action. Although some believe Samson was unfairly excluded from the T20 World Cup squad’s T20 World Cup squad team, Sreesanth, a former India pacer and twin-World Cup winner, believes that IPL heroics will not be enough for the 27 year-old wicketkeeper-batsman and that he must return to Kerala to deliver for the state team. Samson is the Rajasthan Royals’ Indian Premier League captain. His last first-class appearance was in December 2019, when Kerala faced Gujarat. He must be consistent. Everyone is talking about the IPL. I’m from Kerala and I have always supported him. I have seen him play since U14. He has played under my tutelage. In fact, I was the one who gave him his Ranji Trophy cap. But the way I see it… it’s a request for him – he must start performing in first-class games,” Sreesanth said to Hindustan Times in an exclusive conversation on the sidelines at the Delhi leg 2022 Legends League Cricket. “Yes, IPL matters. IPL will bring him fame, popularity, riches, and everything else across the globe. But I feel strongly that any cricketer should start to do extremely well for the state side, particularly in first-class cricket. Sanju must perform in first-class matches. You don’t have to score 100 points, you need to score 200 points. Help Kerala win the Ranji Trophy! Help Kerala win the Vijay Hazare Trophy. “Then, the Kerala cricketers would come out on top,” Sreesanth said. He also acknowledged the support from Samson but stressed that he is not only the keeper-batter in the Indian setup. Sreesanth also revealed that Samson, 27, was his friend. “Is Sanju the only Kerala cricketer? There are many other cricketers in Kerala. It’s only a matter of time. Sanju is participating in the IPL and he should be grateful. He is supported by the Malayali people around the world, but Rishabh Pan, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan can all keep. Sreesanth said, “I’m telling you, there is a keeper-batsman combination that is very high. It’s not just Sanju.” “I have also told him that he must return to first-class cricket to make Kerala win. He is also the captain, and I hope he scores hundreds of runs, not just one hundred over three years. He should be able to make a splash in the scene, just like Rishabh Pan or Ishan Kishan. I am confident that Sanju has the talent and the ability. It’s all about consistency,” said Sreesanth. Sanju Samson captained the India A’ side against New Zealand A’ to a 3-0 sweep victory in the one day series. According to reports, he is likely to be selected for the ODI series against South Africa next week.
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