IND vs SL: In unfortunate news, Indian cricket team keeper-batter Sanju Samson will miss the remaining matches of the T20I series due to a knee injury.
As things were starting to look bright for Sanju Samson, the untimely injury resulted in him losing the number five spot once again. With 450+ runs in the 2021 and 2022 editions of IPL, Samson has cemented his place as a backup keeper in the Indian white-ball squad.
Sanju Samson had a prolific 2022 in the ODI and T20I formats. In six T20I innings, the 28-year-old hit 179 runs at an average of 44.75. In the 50-over format, Samson garnered 284 runs in nine innings at an average of 71.
With Rishabh Pant‘s untimely accident, there are now two choices for the keeper role in Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan for India. It certainly boils down to the consistency of both players, leading up to an all-important 2023 World Cup.
Further, Samson has gradually turned out to be the first-choice keeper for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the star batter was dismissed for 5 of 6 in the first game of the IND vs SL T20I series.
IND vs SL: Jitesh Sharma floated as a replacement for injured Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson hurt his knee during a fielding attempt near the boundary ropes in the IND vs SL 1st T20I. He tried to collect the ball but misbalanced with his knee getting deep into the grass, which became a hole.
Although the Indian team travelled from Mumbai to Pune for the 2nd T20I, Sanju Samson stayed back to undergo scans. According to the medical experts, Samson needs proper rest and was ruled out of the series. Here is the statement from BCCI:
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As a result, Jitesh Sharma has received his national call-up to fill the boots of Sanju Samson. He scored 224 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 175 for Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022.
Sanju Samson will miss the golden opportunity if he remains out of action for the entire home white-ball series. After IND vs SL series, the New Zealand team will tour India to play three T20Is and as many ODIs.
