Former West Indies cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop said Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson is wasting his good form by dubious shot selection.
Samson, who is in the contention for a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad for Australia later this year, hasn’t scored a big innings in the ongoing IPL 2022.
Samson’s presence has been overshadowed by Englishman Jos Buttlet’s astounding campaign in the IPL 2022 so far.
However, the Rajasthan Royals skipper had his opportunity to become the hero on Tuesday after Buttler was dismissed early in the powerplay overs by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
RCB vs RR: Wanindu Hasaranga bowled Sanju Samson
Samson looked very confident against the spin bowlers, he punched Wanindu Hasaranga for a four through the backward point. He smoked the Sri Lankan spinner for a six after coming forward and extending his arms to dispatch it over cover.
The Rajasthan Royals skipper hammered successive sixes off RCB left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed in the eighth over.
Before Samson could flourish with the willow in his hand, Hasaranga came back and cleaned him up to shorten the RR skipper’s stay at the crease for 21-ball 27.
Samson attempted to play a reverse sweep against the Sri Lankan’s tossed-up delivery, perhaps the skipper erred in reading the length, the ball sneaked past the bat to knock the off-stump.
It was the fifth time for Hasaranga to get the better of the Kerala player in the shortest format of the game.
Sanju Samson is wasting good form by shot selection: Ian Bishop
Bishop said that Samson is wasting opportunities to score runs and push his case for Indian team selection.
“Sanju is wasting good form and good opportunity to score runs to press for an international recall. To lead his team when Jos Buttler doesn’t score,” Bishop told ESPNcricinfo.
“It’s not that Sanju is out of form but that it is a match up when Wanindu Hasaranga came against. He should have known that. He got out of the box quite nicely so I just think I am Sanju Samson fan, been that for years now. He is wasting good form by shot selection,” he added.
In eight innings in IPL 2022, Samson scored 228 runs at 32.57 and a strike rate of 165.22.
Rajasthan Royals eventually won the match by 29 runs as youngster Riyan Parag played a gritty unbeaten 31-ball 56 to push the score to 144/8 in the first innings.
Also Read: RCB vs RR: We Have Backed Riyan Parag and He Has Come Good – Sanju Samson
