It's been a curious case for Indian wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson, especially in T20Is. Whenever he is not in the team, chatter over his absence rattles the Indian cricketing spectrum. On occasions where he is selected, inconsistent performances leave his fate hanging in the balance again. After Samson failed to leave his mark in the 2nd T20I against West Indies too, former India cricketer Parthiv Patel feels time might be running out for the talented cricketer from Kerala.
"Every time India loses, we look at the negative points. Throughout the white-ball series, there has been talk about the need for batters to bat long and it is something that has been missing so far. Every time Samson is not in the squad, we talk about him, but he has not cashed in on the opportunities he has availed of so far. Probably time is running out for him, maybes yes or maybe no," Parthiv Patel said on Cricbuzz after the 2nd T20I between India and West Indies on Sunday.
While the popular belief is that Samson doesn't get a consistent run in the Indian team, Parthiv's opinion is on the contrary. The former wicket-keeper batter feels Samson is getting opportunities to showcase his abilities but he isn't able to make them count.
"Samson has been getting a lot of opportunities, to be honest, he is just not making the most of the opportunities that he is getting. There was only one batter who looked comfortable and that was Tilak Varma," he explained.
With the Indian team down 0-2 against West Indies in the 5-match T20I series, a single defeat would see the hosts clinch the trophy.
Poor batting has been India's biggest problem in the series. In the remaining three matches, a few changes could be made to the roster by the team management.