"Sanju Samson Wasn't Selected Because India Already Had Two Wicketkeepers" - Harbhajan Singh
Published - 21 Sep 2023, 12:58 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:19 AM
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh expressed his surprise at Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the squad for the ODI series against Australia. Harbhajan Singh said that Sanju Samson might not have been picked as the team already had two wicketkeepers.
Sanju Samson didn’t make the squad despite having an impressive average of 55.71 in the ODI format. The right-handed batter wasn’t included in the squad, despite the absence of senior batters. Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been included for the first two games.
Sanju Samson’s Exclusion Has Raised A Lot Of Debates – Harbhajan Singh
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan Singh explained the reason behind Sanju Samson‘s non-selection from the squad.
“Sanju Samson’s exclusion has raised a lot of debates. If you average 55 in ODIs and still don’t be a part of the squad, then definitely that’s strange. But I think Sanju wasn’t selected because India already had two wicketkeepers, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan. Both are also a part of the World Cup squad,” Harbhajan said.
KL Rahul will keep the stumps for the upcoming series, as he was designated keeper in the Asia Cup 2023. Ishan Kishan played as a specialist batter in the Super Four stages and the final match of the continental tournament.
Can’t Have Three Wicketkeeper-Batters In A Team – Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh believes that KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan’s performances in ODIs have made it challenging for Sanju Samson to secure a spot in the team. Singh suggested that Samson should be patient and keep working hard until he gets a chance in the side.
“Sanju will need to wait for his chance. I know it is difficult to accept sometimes and one can get disheartened. But age is on his side and I urge him to continue putting in the hard yards and wait for his time,” Harbhajan added.
“If I have to choose between KL Rahul and Sanju Samson, I would definitely select Rahul because of the stability he provides at No.4, and No.5. Samson is also a good player and can hit sixes at will, but the situation now is such that you can’t have three wicketkeeper-batters in a team. It will be difficult to field all of them in the XI,” he concluded.
KL Rahul scored a brilliant hundred against Pakistan in his comeback game. He is expected to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the much-awaited World Cup 2023, which is set to be played from October 5 to November 19 at home.
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Harbhajan Singh IND vs AUS 2023 India National Cricket Team Ishan Kishan KL Rahul Sanju SamsonAbout the Author
Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla... Read more
