Star India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has said that after playing international cricket for more than 10 years, pressure should not be an excuse for Sanju Samson, adding that while failures in one or two
games are acceptable, it cannot be extended to three or four games.
Samson returned to the top of the order after the selectors left Shubman Gill out of the World Cup team. However, he has yet to repay the team management’s faith, managing only modest returns in recent outings.
Samson fell for a golden duck in the third T20I and couldn’t capitalise on a promising start in the fourth T20I in Vizag. While the other top-order batters have not been at their most consistent either, they at least have significant contributions to show when they have clicked during the series.
“Sanju Samson has played for many years. He started in the IPL middle-order, then became an opener. After playing international cricket for 10-12 years, pressure should not be an excuse,” Chahal said while speaking on JioHotstar.
“He (Samson) has had four chances in this series. I can accept failure in one or two matches, but not in three or four. He knows someone like Ishan Kishan, who is the backup and is batting well at number three, is waiting,” Chahal added.
The star spinner believes it is now up to the team management to either give Samson one final opportunity in the fifth T20I in his hometown or try out Ishan and Abhishek Sharma at the top ahead of the T20 World Cup.
“However, there is no need to feel too bad because the T20 World Cup is still far. There is one more match against New Zealand. It now depends on the team management’s thinking,” Chahal said.
“If they feel Sanju is struggling as an opener and Ishan is doing well at number three, then the right call would be to make Sanju sit out and let Ishan take his spot as the opener and wicketkeeper in the final T20I,” Chahal added.
