'I don’t know where I’m standing'- Sanju Samson on his chances of a national call-up

It would not be entirely wrong to say that before Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson was seen by many as MS Dhoni’s worthy successor. The sight of a 19-year old Samson tearing away the best of the bowlers in his debut Indian Premier League season in 2013 left everyone gasping for breath. Unsurprisingly, he was earmarked for greater success in the future by many including the legendary Rahul Dravid. Such was his impact that he was fast-tracked into the Indian team in 2014 only for the tough tour of England.

Fast forward to 2019 and Samson’s career has been a story of talent not being fulfilled at all. Despite earning his maiden call-up way back in 2014, Samson has played just one T2oI so far and is not even in the reckoning for a place in the national team at least for the time being. Over the last few years, he has seen the likes of KS Bharat, Pant and Ishan Kishan leapfrog him in the pecking order as the wicketkeeper.

Samson is still 24 but he had become a household name so early in his career that it looks like he has been on the scene for over a decade. While his talent with the bat is undeniable, it is his lack of appetite for runs that has made things tough for him. For a player of Samson’s calibre, a modest average of 36.81 after 53 first-class matches is not ideal at all. Things have not gone his way in the last few years and Samson is still clueless as to where he stands in the race of wicketkeepers in the country.

In a recent interview, the Kerala star stated he has no clue whatsoever about his situation before praising Pant who is now the main man to replace Dhoni in the national team across formats. “To be very honest, I don’t know where I’m standing. I don’t look at competition. Rishabh is a very good player, he’s an explosive batsman who’s doing very well for India, and I’m very happy for him. At the same time, I know my strengths, too. I have also done well,” Sanju Samson told scroll.in.

Sanju hopeful:

Samson, nonetheless, had a good outing in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season where he top-scored for Kerala, scoring 627 runs. He also enjoyed a good outing in last year’s Indian Premier League season where he amassed 441 runs, helping the Rajasthan Royals make it to the playoffs.

While things have definitely not gone his way in the last few years, Samson is hopeful of changing his fortune. He also said that it is just a matter of time before he attains his goal. “It’s just a matter of time,” he said before adding: “If I keep working hard and doing the right things at the right time, I’ll be there one day.”

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