T20 World Cup 2024: Sanju Samson torn apart by Sunil Gavaskar after RR exits IPL 2024

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar commented on Sanju Samson's inconsistent India career following the Rajasthan Royals (RR) IPL 2024 Qualifier 2 loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Sunil Gavaskar said that Sanju Samson has not been a regular member of the Indian team due to his poor shot selection.

Rajasthan Royals restricted the SunRisers Hyderabad to 175 runs after winning the toss at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, May 24. The inaugural IPL champions failed to chase down the target as they managed to score 139/7. Sanju Samson scored 10 runs off 11 balls in the do-or-die match.

The Sanju Samson-led team secured eight victories out of the first nine matches in the tournament. However, they faced a dip in the latter stages, suffering four consecutive losses. They defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 'Eliminator' to advance to 'Qualifier 2' but failed to reach the final match.

Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar criticized Sanju Samson for his poor shot selection. Gavaskar questioned the value of scoring 500 runs if it doesn't lead to winning matches or titles. He hoped that Samson would seize his opportunity in the T20 World Cup to cement his place in the team.

"What's the use of scoring 500 runs if you can't win your team the match or title? Everyone got out while playing glamorous shots. Why has Samson not had a steady India career? It's because his shot selection has let him down," Gavaskar said.

"If his shot selection had been good, his India career too would have been long. I hope that the opportunity he has got in the T20 World Cup, he grabs it with both hands and cements his place," he added.

Sanju Samson scored 531 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46, including five half-centuries. The RR skipper is the second-highest run-getter for the RR team, trailing behind Riyan Parag, who scored 573 runs at an impressive average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21.

Sunil Gavaskar shared his views on Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal during the match. The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Jaiswal's dismissal proved to be a game-changing moment. Gavaskar stated that the situation could have been different if Jaiswal had stayed for a few more overs.

"I agree that it is extremely hot. However, we saw there was a slight wind blowing today, and the strategic time-out had just happened where you got the chance to take refreshments and drinks. To play such a shot after that, I feel the situation the Royals ended up in was because of that. If he had stayed for another two-three overs, there wouldn't have been any problem," Gavaskar further added.

Yashasvi Jaiswal seemed to injure his hamstring after striking a six from Shahbaz Ahmed's delivery. Jaiswal was dismissed just three deliveries later while attempting another big shot off the left-arm spinner's delivery. The left-handed batter scored 42 runs off 21 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to leave India together, Hardik Pandya to not accompany the team