Former Indian cricket team all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that Sanju Samson should be given a longer run in the ODI squad after the wicket-keeper batter was picked for the upcoming three-match series against West Indies. Samson had a decent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season with Rajasthan Royals, and in the absence of Rishabh Pant who is still recovering from injury, he will have a great chance to make his case for the ODI World Cup. Pathan said that Samson has excellent spin-playing abilities and he can prove to be a “valuable addition” against West Indies.
“Given Pant’s ongoing recovery, it’s time to give Sanju Samson an extended opportunity in one day cricket. With his skills as a proficient middle-order wicketkeeper-batsman and excellent spin-playing abilities, he could prove to be a valuable addition. #INDvWI,” the former India cricketer tweeted.
Given Pant’s ongoing recovery, it’s time to give Sanju Samson an extended opportunity in one day cricket. With his skills as a proficient middle-order wicketkeeper-batsman and excellent spin-playing abilities, he could prove to be a valuable addition. #INDvWI
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) June 23, 2023
Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara‘s extended batting slump has seen him left out of India’s upcoming trip to the West Indies as selectors announced squads for the tour on Friday.
Up-and-coming batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been included in the 16-member squad for a two-Test series starting July 12 in Windsor Park, Dominica.
Jaiswal, 21, and Gaikwad, 26, were among the top run-getters in this year’s Indian Premier League tournament and have been tipped as the future of Indian batting.
The duo come in at the expense of Pujara, 35, whose prolonged run drought included a disappointing 14 and 27 in India’s loss to Australia in this month’s World Test Championship final.
India’s ODI squad vs West Indies: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.
(With AFP inputs)
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