Manjrekar backs Samson amid poor run in England T20I series
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has backed wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson amid criticism for his poor form in the ongoing T20I series against England. Samson has gotten out cheaply having managed scores of just 26, 5, 3, and 1 in the four matches so far, following three centuries in his last previous five T20I for India. Here's what Manjrekar had to say about Samson and his form.
Expert opinion
Manjrekar advocates patience with Samson's performance
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar argued that players like Samson should be given a chance to recover from their poor form "When you are looking at a T20I talent, batting talent, you have got to see when they are playing well what kind of impact they can make," he said. He further backed Samson stating, "Such people are allowed failures and may be a long patch of failures as well because that's the nature of these."
Comeback potential
Manjrekar highlights Samson's potential for comeback
Manjrekar emphasized the unpredictability of T20 cricket, where players have to take risks and one good innings can bring them back. "So, with Sanju Samson, I think you should just make sure that he gets as many innings as possible purely because when he gets into form and plays well, he makes it all worth it," he added. Manjrekar also showed faith in Samson's skills adding, "I will have a lot of patience with this current version of Sanju Samson."
Career highlights
Samson's overall T20I record and as an opener for India
Since he became an opener for India in T20Is, Samson has scored 496 runs in 13 matches, including three centuries and one half-century, (AVG: 41.33, SR: 181.02) These numbers highlight his potential as a top-order batter, even though he has struggled with form lately. Overall, he has amassed 845 runs at an average of 25.60 across 41 matches (37 innings). According to ESPNcricinfo, he also boasts an impressive strike rate of 151.43, including a high score of 111 (vs Bangladesh).