Ace India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on Saturday, December 20, expressed his delight at his ‘Thambi’, or younger brother in Tamil, Sanju Samson, being picked for India’s T20 World Cup team.
With Shubman Gill’s exclusion, Samson has been guaranteed a spot at the top to open with Abhishek Sharma.
Samson may breathe easy after the omission of Gill, which opens up a spot in the batting order.
Samson, India’s leading run-getter last year with 436 runs from 12 innings, had slipped down the pecking order after Gill’s return as opener.
“Title defence loading. Superb squad. Great to see Rinku back and happy for my thambi Sanju, who will now rightfully open alongside Abhishek. AdipoliChetta! Huge applause for Ishan , who showed his hunger by grinding hard in the domestic circuit,” Ashwin tweeted on Saturday afternoon.
The team management had leaned towards Jitesh Sharma for his lower-order utility, which restricted Samson’s chances. Now included in the team, the latter will look to focus on what he does best, scoring runs, even if he features as a specialist batter, with wicketkeeping duties all set to go to Ishan Kishan.
Meanwhile, Rinku Singh’s journey from a humble upbringing in Aligarh to India’s T20 World Cup team has been driven by fearless finishing and brilliant composure in high-pressure moments.
Rinku burst into the national reckoning through consistent IPL performances, where his ability to clear the ropes at will and close out tight chases stood out.
Rinku has won the team management’s confidence as a designated finisher, adept at handling pressure and striking at the death. It is his match-winning T20 cameos that set him apart.