Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that Sanju Samson's form will take a massive dip if the team management continues to change his batting position in almost every T20I. This comes after the wicketkeeper-batter came out to bat at No.3 against Australia in the second T20I of the five-match series and got dismissed for just two runs. Pathan wants Samson to have a fixed position in the batting order so that he can get some much-needed stability.
“As for Sanju Samson, if he keeps moving up and down the batting order like this, I’m not sure how effective that will be. I know that in T20 cricket, apart from the openers, no one really has a fixed position, and flexibility is important. But in the name of flexibility, you shouldn’t become so elastic that you lose the stability that comes with having defined roles. That’s something the Indian team really needs to pay attention to," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Samson's dip in form in T20Is
Pathan further pointed out how Samson was immensely successful while batting as an opener last year in T20Is and had even scored three centuries, but his form has dwindled due to repeated changes in his batting position.
“When you keep changing a player’s role repeatedly, things naturally change. Playing against the older ball in the middle overs, which Sanju Samson did during the Asia Cup, is very different from opening the innings, where he had scored three centuries. It requires a different mindset and a lot of mental strength, along with strong backing from the team," Pathan stated.
Pathan urges Samson to improve form
Pathan also went on to urge Samson to improve his form in the shortest format otherwise the team management may very well stop supporting his inclusion in the playing XI.
“There’s no doubt he’s getting the support he needs. But that support can fade quickly if a player has three or four failures in a row. Hopefully, that won’t happen with Sanju Samson," Pathan concluded.
Meanwhile, Australia took a 1-0 lead in the series with their comfortable 4-wicket victory over India in the second T20I. The Men in Blue will be desperate for a win in the third match that will take place at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on November 2.