IND vs SL: "Sanju Samson Has To Bat Out Of Position Because There Are So Many Jostling For Positions" - Kumar Sangakkara

India will host a white-ball series against Sri Lanka, comprising three T20Is and as many ODIs. The Men in Blue will play the first T20I at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara believes Sanju Samson is most suited to bat at No. 4 in T20 cricket but believes he may not get his preferred batting position.

Sanju Samson played his last T20I match against the West Indies in August 2022. The 28-year-old has missed out on a place in the squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, with Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant considered first-choice wicketkeepers. He batted at No. 4 in seven of his 15 T20I innings, but he didn’t have much success, scoring 109 runs at an average of 15.57 with a best of 39.

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Sanju Samson Is Ideally Suited To No. 4 In T20 Cricket – Kumar Sangakkara

When asked about Sanju Samson’s best position in India’s batting order, Kumar Sangakkara said No. 4 is the best-suited role for a wicketkeeper. The Rajasthan Royals head coach believes that Samson has the ability to excel at any position in the Indian batting order.

“I think he is ideally suited to No. 4 in T20 cricket, coming in after the first seven overs are done. He can bat anywhere and I think in India when he plays, he has to bat out of position because there are so many jostling for positions,” Sangakkara said.

“So he has got to be ready to bat anywhere and he can. He has got power, he has got the touch, he has got a great temperament, a good head on his shoulders for his batting. So he understands how to navigate difficult situations. So you can slot him in anywhere and he will do well,” he added.

I Am Excited To See Is Sanju Samson – Kumar Sangakkara

The former Sri Lankan captain mentioned that there are some experienced players in a new-look T20 line-up for the series against Sri Lanka. Sangakkara believes that Sanju Samson has the ability to be a match-winner at the international level.

“I think India with a new-look side, you have some experience there in (Hardik) Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan. At the same time, you have a few slightly newer players. One of them I am excited to see is Sanju Samson.”

“Rajasthan Royals captain but more importantly he is just a fabulous player. He has got all the ingredients to be just a powerhouse, a match-winner on the international stage as a batter. He is a great young man and I am really excited to see what he can offer.”

Also read: Aakash Chopra Names T20I Team Of The Year 2022; Includes 3 Indians

Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah