Sanju Samson brought into the picture once again as former Kerala teammate labels Shivam Dube useless

Former Indian pacer and 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup winner, S Sreesanth, has sparked a fresh debate with his suggestion for the Indian cricket team's lineup ahead of their final Group A game against Canada in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and Caribbean.

Team India has already qualified for the Super-8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, and they will face Canada in their final group game on Saturday, June 15, at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. However, there are dark clouds in this match due to the poor weather in Florida.

S Sreesanth advocates for Sanju Samson's chance in IND vs CAN T20 World Cup 2024 clash

Ahead of the IND vs CAN Group A match in Florida, Sreesanth advocated for the Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson's inclusion as a potential game-changer in India’s middle order. Samson has not yet played a game in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, with Rishabh Pant taking to the gloves for India.

Sreesanth emphasized that if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are opening the innings, India’s playing XI should remain unchanged for the Canada match with Axar Patel's consistent bowling performance.

However, the former Indian pacer pointed out Shivam Dube's struggle in the first two games with the bat and proposed Samson as a practical replacement to bolster their batting line-up.

Although the commentator acknowledged Dube’s ability as a game-changer but suggested that the Men in Blue can utilize Samson’s batting prowess against Canada, especially if the CSK all-rounder is not contributing with the ball.

S Sreesanth was quoted as saying by ANI: “If they (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) are opening, I don't see any reason to change the XI. Axar Patel is bowling well. If you look at Shivam Dube, yes, he hasn't played well in the first two games, but we know what he can do with the bat. But I would like to see one change, and that is Sanju Samson come into the team.”

Sanjus Samson is hungry to get the opportunity: Sreesanth

He praised Samson's form and fielding prowess, suggesting he could add depth to the lower middle order alongside Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. Currently, Rishabh Pant holds the number three position, followed by Suryakumar Yadav and Dube, but Sreesanth believes that Samson's inclusion could strengthen India's lower middle order to make chasing easier.

The former pacer added, “If Shivam Dube is not bowling, then Sanju should be given an opportunity; we know he is good enough. The other day, when I spoke to him, he was hungry to get that opportunity. The form he is in, and apart from wicketkeeping, he is a superman fielder.”

He also noted that Samson's ability as a finisher, combined with Pandya and Jadeja, could significantly bolster India's batting lineup, making even challenging chases manageable with Kohli's prowess as a chase master in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

Sreesanth signed off by saying, “I feel Sanju comes in last along with Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. I think we can finish on a big score if we are chasing, with Virat being the chase master king. I don't see any score being that difficult for us to chase.”