'But Samson ain’t Pant'- Danesh Kaneria criticizes Sanju Samson for wasting another opportunity in the first ODI

Sanju Samson is considered one of the most talented batters in the country. The wicket-keeer, once again, made a strong case for his selection in the Indian team with his stupendous performances in this year’s Indian T20 League. He even led the Rajasthan franchise to the final of the tournament. Samson made his debut way back in 2015 but has failed to cement his place in the Indian team in the limited opportunities he’s got.

After his recent failure in the first ODI against West Indies on Friday, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria said that he wasted a wonderful opportunity of impressing the selection committee.

The 27-year-old managed to score just 12 runs in the first ODI at the Port of Spain, Trinidad. He was adjudged lbw off a delivery from Romario Shepherd. He even challenged the umpire’s decision and went for a review but it ended in futility as the umpire’s call came into play.

“Samson got another chance but he didn’t look special. He looked dull before Romario Shepherd got him out. But once again, I will talk about Hooda. Why did he bat down the order? Shreyas and Suryakumar are okay at No. 2 and 3 spots respectively, but Hooda should have come ahead of Samson. India pushed Samson up the order the same way as Rishabh Pant. But Samson ain’t Pant. His batting is completely different,” said Kaneria on his YouTube channel.

Since making his debut in the year 2015, Samson has only played 14 T20Is and two one-day internationals and has scored 251 runs and 58 runs in the two formats respectively. The batter has one half-century to his name in T20I cricket. The Kerala cricketer is facing tough competition from other wicketkeepers namely Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant.

Samson is the first-choice wicketkeeper for the West Indies series as Rishabh Pant has been rested to manage his workload. Samson can cement his place in the team if he’s given regular opportunities. The batter can be given a long run in the T20 internationals post the 20-20 world cup if Rishabh Pant fails to make an impact in the upcoming major tournament.