Former India player Aakash Chopra has said that Sanju Samson is generally added to the Indian squad in a format that does not have short-term importance. The Indian team will face South Africa in a three-match ODI series, with the first game taking place in Johannesburg on Sunday. Samson is one of two wicketkeeper-batters in the Indian squad along with captain KL Rahul.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Shreyas Iyer will play this match. Rinku Singh will definitely play. I don’t know how many opportunities Samson will get but he should get. Somehow Indian cricket picks Samson in a format which is not very important that year. Now ODIs are not important, so you will find Sanju Samson’s name there.”
He again shared, “They usually have a line of openers and here you are not finding many. KL Rahul plays as a middle-order wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs. Who will open? Who along with Ruturaj Gaikwad? Rajat Patidar or Sai Sudharsan, or will you get Tilak Varma to open, or Shreyas Iyer or Rahul?”
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While talking about the usual openers who aren’t part of the squad, Chopra said that either Sai Sudharsan or Rajat Patidar could play that role. He also believes that the Indian team management could go with Sudharsan as Gaikwad’s opening partner to have a left-right combination in the order as well.
He stated: “Yashasvi (Jaiswal), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan – none of these names are there in this team. Since someone has to open, they will get it done with whoever they wish. Either Sai Sudharsan or Rajat Patidar might be that opener. I have got no idea because no one has said anything.”
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“Yuzi and Kuldeep are both available but will both of them play together – I am not so sure. Axar will definitely play because he is now a part of ODIs but wasn’t in T20Is because Ravindra Jadeja was the vice-captain there,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
