The former cricketer Aakash Chopra has opened on the decision of inclusion of Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson in the Indian squad for the upcoming Afghanistan T20I series.
Aakash Chopra on Samson and Jitesh selection for Afghanistan T20Is
Aakash Chopra has calculated that Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma were selected in the India squad for the Afghanistan T20I series due to their ability to bat in the middle order.
The Men in Blues will be playing a three-match T20I series in Afghanistan’s India tour starting this week. On this occasion, BCCI picked a 16-member squad for the series on Sunday, which included Samson and Jitesh Sharma as the wicketkeeping options.
Aakash Chopra has mentioned that there is no explanation for picking Samson to replace Kishan as a wicketkeeper option in the YouTube channel.
“Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson are the two wicketkeepers, although Samson wasn’t kept as a keeper in the last two series. Ishan Kishan was going as a keeper but he is not there now. Nobody knows why Ishan Kishan isn’t there, that’s a different story.”
He also opined that the lack of vacant top-order spots might have given no option for the selectors rather to pick Samson and Jitesh.
“You have suddenly filled up the opening slot. Virat Kohli plays at No. 3, he doesn’t play at No. 4. So the keeper has to bat down the order. You have only two keeping options who can bat down the order, one is Jitesh Sharma and the other is Sanju Samson.”
Ishan Kishan has been out of the recent test series on India’s South Africa tour for personal reasons. There is no explanation for his omission for the Afghanistan T20Is or he is still not available for his selection.
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Sanju Samson’s selection as his potential to bat in middle order wicketkeeper-batter is based more on hope than actual performances at those positions.
“You are assuming that Samson will bat down the order. It’s not necessary he can do that because you haven’t seen him doing that. Let’s be fair, he also plays in the top order for the Rajasthan Royals.”
He also added that Jitesh Sharma is the only batter who bats regularly in the middle order.
He said “Jitesh Sharma is the only legit keeper who bats down the order, everyone else bats at the top, whether it is KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, or Ishan Kishan. If any of them wants to strengthen his case, play at No. 4 or No. 5 in the IPL.”
Chopra concluded by saying that Wicketkeeper-batter who isn’t ready to bat in the middle order in IPL 2024, shouldn’t expect to be picked in the Indian squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
He added that players should bat for the franchise at the number they want to play for India.
India and Afghanistan will be playing their first T20I match on January 11 at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
