Samson Dents Asia Cup Hopes With Shock Performance In Kerala League

As doubts over Sanju Samson's place in India's playing XI for the Asia Cup emerge, the wicket-keeper batter hasn't helped his reputation any good since the squad came out. Shubman Gill's return to India's T20I team might push Samson out of India's playing XI, unless the Kerala cricketer manages to showcase the sort of form that makes the team management impossible to leave him out. With Gill likely to open for India alongside Abhishek Sharma in the Asia Cup, Samson might have to bat in the middle order, even if he is picked.

Hence, the wicket-keeper batter came out to bat at the No. 6 spot for his team in the Kerala Cricket League. But, he could only score 13 runs from 22 balls, leaving all of his fans and the team disappointed.

During the match between Kochi Blue Tigers and Alleppey Ripples, Samson walked in at No. 6 spot, making his intentions of sealing a middle-order spot in the Indian T20I team clear. But, he could only score 13 runs from 22 balls for the Kochi side. However, this was just the start, Samson still has 6 games to prove that he can adapt and deliver in the middle-order, before the Asia Cup begins in UAE.

In his 42 T20I match career for India, Samson has scored 861 runs in 38 innings at an average of 25.38, with three centuries and two fifties. Since last year, he has found a new lease of life as an opener, scoring three centuries in five innings across series against Bangladesh and South Africa.

Last year, he was India's best T20I batter with 436 runs in 12 innings at an average of 43.60, with a strike rate of 180.16, including three centuries and a fifty. However, with the presence of vice-captain Shubman Gill, returning to the side after a superb England Test tour with the bat and as a captain and back-up keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma after a dream season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), his place in the playing XI could be on the line.

India will kick off their campaign against the UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14, with both fixtures set to be played in Dubai. India will play their final group stage fixture against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

With ANI inputs

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