Tinu Yohannan and Sanju Samson (PC: X)
Shamik Chakrabarty in Pallekele
For Sanju Samson, the opportunity to play the second T20I against Sri Lanka at Pallekele came by chance. Shubman Gill had a neck spasm and an opening position fell vacant. Sanju was fitted into that slot.
India restricted Sri Lanka to 161/9, with the hosts suffering another middle-order crash. Then, when the tourists batted, a stoppage for rain altered the equation to 78 off eight overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal chalked off 12 of those runs in the first over and Sanju faced his first ball under no scoreboard pressure. He perished for a golden duck.
Maheesh Theekshana bowled a faster one and it breached the batsman’s defence. It was another opportunity wasted for Sanju, who somehow has struggled to bridge the gap between the IPL and international cricket throughout his career.
Strong criticism would be harsh on Sanju. It’s not easy for any player when chances are few and far between. But that’s the reality. Only a handful of exceptionally talented players, proven performers, are automatic picks in the Indian team across formats. The rest are under pressure to capitalise on the opportunities whenever they come. It is down to the depth of Indian cricket.
Sanju made his T20I debut in 2015. Over the next 10 years, he has played only 29 matches. His figures aren’t impressive – 444 runs at an average of 20.18 with just two half-centuries. Then again, he never got a stretch of games to get into the international groove. He looks a different player in the IPL, when he plays for Rajasthan Royals. This year also, he was among the top five run-scorers in the tournament, with 531 runs from 16 games and a strike-rate of 153.46. Why he fails to replicate his IPL form in international cricket is anyone’s guess. Is it psychological?