Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble believes that Sanju Samson will be a key player to watch in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. Speaking on Jio Cinema before the series, Kumble highlighted that Samson's inconsistency has placed him under scrutiny. While Samson recently impressed with a remarkable century against Bangladesh in the T20I format, he still faces uncertainty regarding his permanent position in the Indian team.
Sanju Samson has struggled to secure a permanent spot despite making his debut for the Indian team nearly a decade ago. A combination of inconsistent performances and fluctuating selection policies has hindered his progress in the national team. However, the recent change in management, led by Gautam Gambhir, has shown renewed faith in Samson. The new regime has provided him with extended opportunities and even promoted him to the top order, a position he has excelled in for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
He can be devastating against spinners: Anil Kumble on Sanju Samson
"There's been a lot of talk about keeping Sanju Samson in the team long-term, and that century he scored will certainly have given him a lot of confidence. We know the ability of Sanju Samson; he is a class act," Kumble said on Jio Cinema.
"Consistency is a bit lacking, and I'm sure the Indian selectors are mindful of that. Placing him at the top of the innings, either at number one, two, or three, is where I believe he can truly add value to this team. He has strong backfoot play, plenty of time against fast bowlers, and can be devastating against spinners. It will be interesting to see how he handles those four matches in South Africa under those conditions," he added.
India will kick off their T20I series on November 8th. While the team has primarily retained its core group of T20 specialists, it has also included several promising players. Yash Dayal and Ramandeep Singh, who have made significant contributions to their respective IPL teams, have been rewarded with call-ups to the national side.
India's T20I squad for series against South Africa
Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.
South Africa T20I squad for series against India:
Aiden Markram (c), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (3rd and 4th T20Is), and Tristan Stubbs.
Full fixtures of IND vs SA T20I series
SA v IND, 1st T20I: November 8, 2024, 5:00PM, Durban
SA v IND, 2nd T20I: November 10, 2024, 4:00PM, Gqeberha
SA v IND, 3rd T20I: November 13, 2024, 5:00PM, Centurion
SA v IND, 4th T20I: November 15, 2024, 5:00PM, Johannesburg
