On the face of it, Sanju Samson is one of the most gifted players of his generation. He is blessed with timing and power a combination that makes him unique. On Sunday, Samson reminded everyone of his abilities by smashing 82 runs off just 52 deliveries against the Lucknow Supergiants. More importantly, Samson’s knock was the foundation for Rajasthan Royals’ first win of the season.
In the four opening games for Rajasthan Royals since 2020, Samson has smashed 3 half-centuries and 1 hundred. And he continued this tradition yesterday against the Lucknow Super Giants by racking up yet another half-century. However, one of the most disappointing hallmarks of Samson’s IPL season so far is that he starts well and tails off as the season progresses. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of watching Samson bat has been his inability to maintain good form throughout an IPL season.
Over the last couple of years, Samson has also had to play second fiddle to some of his teammates. While Jos Buttler stole the show by scoring 800 plus runs in 2022, Yashasvi Jaiswal had a breakout season in 2023. But 2024 could be Sanju Samson’s year, especially with the ICC T20 World Cup coming up immediately after the IPL. In this scenario, every player’s performance in the IPL takes on added significance and Samson is no different.
But for Samson to stake a claim in the World Cup squad, he must find a way to be consistent throughout the IPL. Consistency, after all, is the hallmark of greatness, and Samson must address this glaring issue if he harbours hopes of making a significant impact in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
For Samson, the equation is simple yet daunting: consistency equals opportunity. If he can string together a series of match-winning performances and showcase the maturity to weather the inevitable highs and lows of a long season, there’s no reason why he can’t stake a claim in the World Cup squad.
Image Courtesy- Sports Tak
