'Apna time aaega' - Irfan Pathan feels Sanju Samson will come back strong in T20Is

India opener Shikhar Dhawan continued with his good form with the bat in the second ODI against Australia in Rajkot by slamming 96 in 90 balls. After having returned to the Indian ODI set-up after last August, it was the ace southpaw’s second successive fifty and the third successive half-century if his 52 in the third T20I against Sri Lanka is included. The 34-year-old missed his 18th ton in the 50-over format by one boundary but yet his knock in a game that India must win was praised all across.

Meanwhile, former India bowling all-rounder Irfan Pathan has also supported Samson after his exclusion from the T20I squad for India. Samson, who made his India debut in 2015, has played only two T20Is so far and after scoring six runs off two balls in the T20I against Sri Lanka in Pune earlier this month, the 25-year-old was dropped from the squad.

Samson has not been picked for either the Australia ODIs or the five-match T20I series in New Zealand scheduled later this month. Even when Pant got injured in the Australia series, uncapped wicket-keeper from Andhra KS Bharat was called as a cover. On Thursday, Samson had even tweeted a cryptic comma and it went viral in no time.

To 35-year-old Pathan’s tweet, one fan asked what Sanju Samson, the young wicket-keeper-batsman from Kerala who has found himself unfavoured despite Rishabh Pant’s poor form and injury, should do, the former cricketer replied: “Keep at it. Apna time aaega.”

Keep at it. Apna time aaega

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 17, 2020

Pathan also hailed Dhawan’s innings in a tweet saying when under pressure, one must turn around like him by hitting three back-to-back half-centuries. India were playing to level the three-match series after the visitors thrashed them by 10 wickets in the first match in Mumbai on Tuesday.

If situation pushes you towards the wall what do you do???? Score 3 half centuries and become @SDhawan25 #wellplayed #INDvsAUS

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 17, 2020

Australia captain Aaron Finch asked India to bat first again after winning the toss and the hosts came up with a much better show this time. Captain Kohli, who fell for a low score at No.4 in Mumbai, made 78 in his more familiar No.3 position while KL Rahul, who was demoted to No.5 in this match, slammed a crucial 80 to take India to 340.

Dhawan made 74 at the Wankhede to put up a century-run partnership with Rahul (47) but once that was broken, India lost their way and folded for only 255 from 134 for 2. The opener, who had hit a fabulous hundred against the same opponents in the ICC World Cup in 2019 despite suffering a blow in his thumb, looked determined to get his hundred in Rajkot but it was not to be.

Watch: Irfan Pathan’s interview post his retirement