Sanju Samson once again failed to contribute with the bat during Rajasthan Royals' (RR) recent thrilling final over win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. The RR captain could only muster four off five balls, with his side setting a target of 185 runs. PBKS almost crossed the target in the 20th over of their chase, but pacer Kartik Tyagi had other plans. The youngster took two wickets in the over, dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda. The wickets proved to be crucial as RR won by two runs.
Speaking on Star Sports, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar stated that Samson needs to work on his shot selection if he wants to be a regular player for India. The 26-year-old made his India debut in 2015, but has since then only played in one ODI and 10 T20Is.
Even in the IPL, Samson has gone hot and cold on many occasions.
"What has led him down is the shot selection. Even at the international level, he doesn't open the batting there. He was the second or the third wicket down. And he looks to hit the first ball out of the ground. That is impossible. That is absolutely impossible even if you've been in the richest vein of form. You have got to maybe knock it around for maybe twos and threes and get the feet moving and then look to play", said Gavaskar.
"That is something he is going to watch out for; because otherwise, it is going to be a waste of such God-given talent. I have always said that a lot of shot selection boils down to temperament. That is what separates the men from the boys. And therefore, for him to go on and be a regular player for India, his shot selection has to be that much better", he further added.
Despite having already registered a century in IPL 2021, Samson is seventh in the Orange Cap race with 281 runs from eight games.
In their upcoming fixture, RR will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.