‘Drop the others, give him ten matches’ - Ravi Shastri wants team management to give more game time to Sanju Samson

Hardik Pandya-led India are currently locking horns with Kane Williamson’s New Zealand in the second of the three-match T20I series at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Interestingly, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has not been picked up in the Playing XI for the 2nd T20I by the management.

Many fans and members of the cricketing fraternity have raised questions over his exclusion from the Playing XI. Former India coach and 1983 World Cup winner, Ravi Shastri backed Sanju Samson to play more cricket and wants the management to give him an extended run.

Give him 10 games in a row. Don't drop him after just two games. Make others sit out and play Samson for 10 games - Shastri

Only if BCCI had appointed someone like Shastri as coach.....wait... pic.twitter.com/bC2I8kIhm5

— ∆nkit🏏 (@CaughtAtGully) November 19, 2022

"Look for other youngsters like Sanju Samson, give him a chance. Give him ten matches. Not like you play him in two games and then drop him. Drop the others, give him ten matches and then take a call on whether to give him more opportunities or not," voiced Shastri.

Sanju Samson was excluded from the T20 World Cup Squad

India’s humiliating loss in the recent semi-final against England raised a lot of questions about their batting approach. Samson was overlooked by the selectors for the World Cup despite having a really good IPL season with the bat as he scored 458 runs at an impressive strike rate of 146.79.

Samson has amassed 296 runs at a strike rate of 135.15 in his 16 T20I outings. He last played against the West Indies in August this year, scoring an unbeaten 30* and 15 runs at No. 5 and No. 4 respectively in the two games during the course of the tour.

With the washout in the first T20I in Wellington, all eyes are on the second T20I which proves to be a crucial match for both sides in the series. With the exclusion of players like Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill, it remains to be seen what the Men in Blue have in store against the Kiwis in the penultimate T20I match at the Bay Oval.