Sanju Samson slams fifty in friendly match before Asia Cup
What's the story
Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson scored a quick-fire half-century in a recent friendly match at the Greenfield Stadium. The match was organized by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) and saw Samson's KCA Secretary XI take on Sachin Baby's KCA President's XI. The game was played as a curtain-raiser for the upcoming Kerala Cricket League Season 2, which starts later this month.
Match details
Vishnu Vinod stars in high-scoring encounter
The match was played under the newly installed LED floodlights at Greenfield Stadium, which is set to host the Women's ODI World Cup 2025. The KCA President's XI scored 184/8 in their allotted overs with Rohan Kunnummal (60 off 29 balls) and Abhijith Praveen (47 off 18) leading the charge. In reply, opener Vishnu Vinod's explosive knock of 69 runs off just 29 balls helped his team chase down the target with two balls to spare.
Performance analysis
Samson's timely 50 ahead of Asia Cup
Samson, who came in at No. 4, played a responsible yet aggressive knock of 54 runs off 36 balls. His innings was instrumental in his team's victory as they chased down the target with two balls to spare. The performance comes just weeks before India announces its squad for the Asia Cup 2025, which starts on September 9 in the UAE.
Selection
Is Samson's selection certain?
As Samson was sensational in his recent T20I assignments, his selection in the Asia Cup squad seems all but certain. He has now emerged as a potent top-order batter for India, having slammed 861 runs from 42 T20Is at a strike-rate of 152.38. His tally includes a total of three tons and two half-centuries. He is only behind Rohit Sharma (5) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) in terms of T20I tons for India.