SA vs IND 2024: Anil Kumble endorses ‘class act’ Sanju Samson in top order

In the series against Bangladesh, Sanju Samson was used as an opener in the Indian team and the Kerala-born cricketer managed to keep up with the expectations. In the first couple of games, the keeper-batter made 29 and 10 runs respectively and immediately, his spot in the playing XI was questioned but the cricketer managed to put up a stunning show in the third T20I, scoring 111 runs in 47 deliveries, as India posted 297 on the board.

Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will miss the T20I series against South Africa due to workload management. In their absence, Samson is expected to continue at the top order and speaking on the same, former cricketer Anil Kumble stated that his performance in the final T20I against Bangladesh will give the player plenty of confidence to do well against the Proteas.

The leg-spinner noted that consistency has always been an issue for Samson, but he asked the team management to consider him in the top order only. He explained that the 29-year-old has a strong back foot game and is good against the fast bowlers and extremely dangerous against the spinners. However, he is eager to see how Samson fairs in the tough series against South Africa away from home.

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“There's been a lot of talk about keeping Sanju Samson in the team long-term, and that century he scored will certainly have given him a lot of confidence. We know the ability of Sanju Samson; he is a class act," Kumble was quoted as saying in a release from JioCinema.

“Consistency is a bit lacking, and I'm sure the Indian selectors are mindful of that. Placing him at the top of the innings, either at number one, two, or three, is where I believe he can truly add value to this team. He has strong back foot play, plenty of time against fast bowlers, and can be devastating against spinners. It will be interesting to see how he handles those four matches in South Africa under those conditions,” he added.