Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson is yet to realise his potential on the international stage.

Once hailed as a prodigious talent, Samson made his India debut in 2015 at the age of 21. For the next five years, he was overlooked in the national side before he finally earned a call-up in 2020.

As of today, Samson has represented India in 11 ODIs and 17 T20Is so far, amassing more than 600 runs with three half-centuries.

In an exclusive chat with The Week, Shastri expressed his disappointment and hoped that the 28-year-old Samson will establish himself as a top player before ending his career.

"There is Sanju (Samson), who I believe is yet to realise his potential. He is a match-winner. There is something that is missing. I will be disappointed if he does not finish his career all guns blazing," Shastri stated.

"It is like when I was the coach, I would have been disappointed if Rohit Sharma had not played in my side as a regular Test player. Hence, his opening the batting. I feel similar with Sanju," he added.

Earlier this year, Sanju Samson sustained a knee injury and missed the white-ball series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

On Friday (June 23), the Kerala batter was presented with another big opportunity as he was named in India’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies.

Samson’s inclusion as a wicket-keeping option also suggests that he is in the scheme of things for the ODI World Cup, set to be played in India later this year.

On a different note, Shastri said the Indian team could strike the right balance by going with a left-right combination.

“You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” he opined.

 “You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju. But the left-handers, you have (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment,” Shastri further remarked.