Since November last year when India toured New Zealand immediately after the T20 World Cup in Australia, Sanju Samson hasn’t featured in an ODI for India despite them playing multiple bilateral series between then and now. Picked for the white-ball leg of ongoing West Indies tour, Samson was again snubbed for the ODI series opener in Barbados earlier this week.
In the absence of Rishabh Pant and with part-time wicketkeeper KL Rahul undergoing recovery, it seems Ishan Kishan seems to have become the next best option.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer says he thought the team management was looking at Ishan as a backup opener since Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are the first-choice openers in ODIs and in that scenario, someone like Samson will make it into the playing XI in the middle order.
However, India tinkered with their batting order for the first ODI as Ishan opened with Gill while Rohit came to bat as late as No.7 in what was a move designed to give the white-ball specialists more game time ahead of the world cup in October-November.
“I thought they’re looking at Ishan Kishan as a backup opener, as well as obviously the backup keeper, and then Sanju probably would bat in the middle order. I thought he’ll get an opportunity first, so that’s surprising,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo.
Ishan may have a double-century in his brief ODI career but Samson averages an excellent 66 after 11 ODIs to go with a fantastic strike-rate of 104.76.
Jaffer also questioned which player India are considering as their third opener if Ishan ends up being the first-choice wicketkeeper in Pant’s absence.
“Who is that third opener? Probably Ruturaj Gaikwad but I don’t know who, because Ruturaj has been picked in the Asian Games. Again, I don’t know who that third opener is,” Jaffer said.
In additional, he also wants Axar Patel to be given more chances, asking India to take the field with as many as three spinners.
“I am a little surprised not seeing Sanju there, and I’m surprised at not seeing Axar Patel there, because I thought when Ravindra Jadeja wasn’t available, he was really brilliant, with ball and bat. I feel going forward, India need to think about playing three spinners, because Jadeja and Axar can bat at 7 and 8, so I’m a little surprised, but I expected this,” he said.
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