Sanju Samson slams his third 50-plus score in KCL: Stats
What's the story
Indian opener Sanju Samson continues his rich vein of form. On August 28, the 30-year-old slammed his third 50-plus score in the ongoing Kerala Super League (KCL). Opening the innings for Kochi Blue Tigers against Adani Trivandrum Royals, he hammered a 37-ball 62. Samson previously hammered a ton and a half-century for the Tigers. He has been impressive ahead of the T20 Asia Cup.
Knock
Another blazing knock from Samson
Samson came out all guns blazing after the Royals elected to field. He added a 68-run opening stand with Vinoop Manoharan (42). Although skipper Saly Samson departed early, Sanju took the Tigers past 120. The latter fell to Abhijith Praveen V in the 15th over. He hammered 62 off 37 balls, a knock laced with 4 fours and 5 sixes.
Batting time
Samson makes up for lost IPL time
The KCL has given Samson a chance to make up for the time lost in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) due to an abdominal injury. He played only nine matches for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), scoring 285 runs at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of 140.39. Before the IPL, he struggled in the England T20I series earlier this year.
Form
Samson's current form
Samson's recent performances in the KCL have been impressive. He batted in the middle order before moving to the top. He scored an unbeaten 121 (54) and a blazing 89 (46). In the impending Asia Cup, Samson will face a tough competition from wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma. However, the former also looks prepared for a potential middle-order role, especially with Shubman Gill at the top.
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Incredible numbers as opener
As per ESPNcricinfo, each of Samson's three T20I tons has come while opening the innings. He owns 512 runs at an incredible strike rate of 182.20 as an opener. Until India's latest T20I series, Samson was the opening partner of Abhishek Sharma.