Sanju Samson may get a chance against Namibia in the T20 World Cup. He can be included in the playing 11 in place of ill Abhishek Sharma. This change will also balance the abundance of left-handed batsmen in the team.
New Delhi: When India plays its second match against Namibia in the T20 World Cup, will Malayali player Sanju Samson get a chance to debut in the World Cup? Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan opened for India against America. But after getting out on a golden duck in that match, Abhishek Sharma did not even come to field due to high fever and stomach pain.
In such a situation, there are reports that Sanju can be included in the playing eleven by giving rest to Abhishek against Namibia. It is also being said that the next match is against Pakistan, so there should be no hurry to play Abhishek against Namibia. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah also could not play the first match due to high fever. If Bumrah comes back in the second match, Mohammed Siraj will be out of the playing eleven. India’s second match is against Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. After the first match, captain Suryakumar Yadav had made it clear that Washington Sundar, who was out due to injury, will return to the team.
Has the abundance of left-handed batsmen become a problem?
The strategy of including more left-handed batsmen in the batting line-up against America also backfired, increasing Sanju’s chances in the second match against Namibia. The first three players in the batting line-up were Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Verma, all left-handed batsmen. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were the only right-handed batsmen in the top 7. It is believed that things became easier for the American bowlers due to Shivam Dubey, Akshar Patel, Rinku Singh in the middle order and Arshdeep Singh also being a left-handed batsman in the lower order. Keeping all these things in mind, the possibility of playing Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan as openers against Namibia is being considered. If he gets a chance against Namibia, it will be a golden opportunity for Sanju to get back in form. However, if the team management decides to play Abhishek only to overcome the disappointment of the first match, then Sanju will have to sit out again.