IND vs WI: 'Does Sanju Samson Play In IPL At No.6?': Kamran Akmal Attacks Hardik Pandya For Demoting Wicketkeeper-Batter In 1st T2OI

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman, Kamran Akmal attacked the Indian cricket management for sending Sanju Samson at number 6 to bat during the second inning in the 1st T20I match of the five-game series against West Indies.

While speaking on his official YouTube channel, the 41-year-old said that Sanju Samson plays in the top 4 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and questioned the Men in Blues why are they sending him at number 6.

“When I talk about Sanju, does he play in IPL at no.6? He plays in top-4, give him a chance there. If Kohli and Rohit aren’t there, these batsmen should play higher in the order like 4 or 5. If you send him at 6, thinking he played aggressively in the last ODI so he can do that again, it does not happen every time,” Akmal said.

The former Pakistan cricketer also attacked the India coach, Rahul Dravid, and Hardik Pandya for being overconfident in the first 20-over game of the series against the Caribbeans.

“When India came for chase, I thought the captain, the coach, the management, they were all overconfident. It felt like they thought, ‘it’s a nothing total’. You have to plan. I didn’t see that. I saw experiments but you need planning with it,” Akmal added.

Sanju Samson after coming in the top 4 in IPL 2023

In the 16th edition of the IPL, Sanju Samson played 14 league matches for his Rajasthan-based franchise and scored 362 runs with a strike of 153.39. Sanju Samson hammered three half-centuries, and his best score was 66.

Hardik Pandya-led India lost the opening match of the T20I series against West Indies by four runs. In the first inning, the Caribbeans went to bat first after winning the toss and gave a target of 150 runs.

The target was low, but the Men in Blues failed to chase it. No Indian batsmen could touch the 50-run mark in the second inning.

Sanju Samson played 12 deliveries and scored 12 runs with a strike rate of 100.00. Samson managed to hammer only one-six. He had to leave the crease after a run-out in the 15.3 over.

The second T20I match between India and West Indies will be played on Sunday (August 06) at Providence Stadium, Guyana and the game will start at 8:00 PM IST.