Keeper-batsman Sanju Samson wasted yet another opportunity in T20Is after getting out for zero in the third T20I between India and Sri Lanka on Thursday, 29 July.
He scored a total of 34 runs at a strike rate of 94.44 in the three-match T20I series. His scores in the second and third T20Is were 7 and 0 respectively. A lot was expected of him before this tour began, and the expectations further rose, especially after only five batsmen were available for the last two T20Is.
Speaking of the disappointing performances from the Kerala batsman, former cricketer Aakash Chopra said Samson will regret this missed opportunity. The youngster has scored only 117 runs in 10 T20I matches for India.
“We always say about Sanju Samson that he is a very talented player, looks very attractive while batting and so on. Okay, he was batting out of position. But in Thursday’s match, he came in to bat in the fifth over. He should have scored runs. Wanindu Hasaranga came in and foxed him. Samson played four consecutive matches,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“The other youngsters were in and out of the playing XI but Samson got a longer run without a gap. He played the last ODI and all three T20Is. He scored 46 on his ODI debut but he could not come up with a good score in any of the T20Is. Sanju Samson will regret this, he let a great opportunity slip,” he added.
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Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan also departed for a golden duck in the first over of the match. Chopra said that Dhawan would be gutted as he missed a chance to make a case for this year's T20 World Cup.
“I am sure Shikhar Dhawan would be a little disappointed. I would not say that his performance was that determining factor with regards to whether or not he would be in the T20 World Cup squad. The IPL is still to come and one cannot judge Dhawan on the basis of three T20I matches. But he could definitely have strengthened his case for the T20 World Cup by scoring more runs. Shikhar Dhawan would be gutted. And he got out (for a duck) in the deciding match,” he said.
