Rajasthan Royals were defeated in the IPL 2022 final by Gujarat Titans, who were playing in their first season. Despite having a productive season with the bat in the IPL, RR skipper Sanju Samson has been left out of India’s squad for the T20I series against South Africa. Ravi Shastri, the former Indian head coach, believes Samson will be one of the contenders for selection for the T20 World Cup later this year.
Ravi Shastri feels Sanju Samson should feature in India’s WC squad
The upcoming T20I series between India and South Africa will provide a golden opportunity for exciting young talents and fringe players to strengthen their selection case for the ICC World T20. Sanju Samson, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman who led Rajasthan Royals (RR) to their first IPL final since 2008, was left out of India’s squad for the South Africa series.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri backed the explosive batter of the Rajasthan Royals franchise and heaped praise on the Indian wicketkeeper-batter. On Australian pitches, the former Indian head coach and ex-India all-rounder believe Samson can be a major threat to premier bowlers. Shastri, one of cricket’s most famous voices, also claimed that Samson has more shots than any other Indian batter.
“(Short ball discussion) it will come into play in these 20 games. Between Tripathi, Samson, and Iyer, there will be opportunities now. But when you look at Australia, bounce, pace, cut, pull, Samson will always threaten there. For that conditions, he has more shots than any other Indian, to be honest,” Shastri said.
While there has been much speculation about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s futures following their recent poor form, Ravi Shastri believes that unless something drastic happens, the veterans will be on the plane to Australia for the T20 World Cup. In the run-up to the T20 World Cup later this year, India will play 30 games.
“Because of the proximity to the World Cup, I don’t think they (Rohit, Kohli, Pant, Bumrah) will play all of these 30 games. They will be shared with others. Unless something drastic happens due to injury, I can’t see them missing out,” Shastri added.
