Sanju Samson Included in ODIs squad? What does it means for Kerala star

Samson missed out on the ODI series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia earlier this year after suffering an injury in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in January this year.

The comeback of Samson comes at a time when regular India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant continues spending time rehabilitating after his fatal car accident in December last year.

Samson has been named alongside Ishan Kishan as the second wicket-keeper batter in the series which will officially kick start India’s dress rehearsal for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 scheduled to be held in India in October-November this year.

What does Sanju Samson’s comeback in India’s ODI team mean?

Sanju Samson’s ODI comeback definitely is good news for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain and his ardent fans who have been quite vocal of his exclusion from the team. It is quite clear that Samson is now very much in the probable list for the upcoming 50-over World Cup.

The same indirectly means that Pant is very well out of the race and even if he gets fit in record time, the southpaw will not be included in the main squad because of lack of game time. That to be fair, will be a justified call.

Ishan Kishan is no longer the sole contender for the wicketkeeper-batter slot. Kishan will not only compete for a spot with KL Rahul, but Sanju Samson is now also in the race.

The availability of in-form Samson also gives a big cushion to the Indian middle-order. Even when there is an injury to a key player, Samson is as good a player as any. His attacking and classy cricket at the same time would mean India are not short of firepower.

At an individual level, Samson has a golden opportunity to feature in his maiden World Cup for India. The batter for long has been called India’s next big star, and, at 28 years of age, he finally has one main opportunity to redeem himself.