The Indian wicket-keeper batter, Sanju Samson has a huge fan following on social media. Despite the fact that he wasn’t selected in the Indian squad T20 World Cup due to injury, there were fans on social media who insisted that he could have been a major factor for India in the tournament where Rohit Sharma and his men were beaten in the semi-finals. Former Indian opener, Aakaash Chopra weighed in on Samson’s massive popularity and the perception surrounding the young cricketer.

During a recent chat with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, Aakash Chopra “During the Sanju Samson phase, it felt as if he is God’s gift to Indian cricket. People said ‘Play him and everything will fall in place. We would have even won the World Cup final’. They wouldn’t realize that the bowlers had an off day or that Karthik or Pant would have played in front of him. But in reality, his batting wouldn’t have made any difference.”

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Aakash Chopra lauded Samson for his natural ability on the field but also pointed out that the youngster has failed to make the most of the chances he has got in the Indian team. In a situation where Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan were performing well, Chopra said that Samson did not have much hope.

Elaborating the same, Aakash Chopra said, “Sanju has a cult following – we live in a digital world. Where he comes from, it is very obvious that the place and region have a digital presence. When he plays well, he makes batting look easy. He is pleasing on the eyes, and took his team to the Ranji final, and IPL final. Got some opportunities for India but didn’t make the most of it. And this is a reality that fans do not understand. Sanju realizes it that he is going to get limited opportunities in the current set-up.”

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He concluded by saying, “There is just no place in the XI. Ishan Kishan scored a double-century and yet we didn’t give him the next few matches. When he did, he was asked to bat at No. 5. And it was because KL Rahul wasn’t available. Had he been available, he would have still sat out. So that is the level of quality that is available. When the opportunity comes, just grab it away. If you throw it away for whatever reason, then you regret it.”