Vijay Hazare Trophy: As the Indian cricket team gears up for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting December 17, all eyes are on Sanju Samson, who has been selected to fortify India’s middle order. This opportunity comes after Samson was overlooked for the ICC World Cup 2023, indicating the selectors’ interest in evaluating his performance in the ODI format.
Sanju Samson, keen to make a strong impression, has already begun to showcase his prowess in domestic cricket. In a recent Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Railways, Samson played a monumental innings, arguably the highlight of his domestic career. Despite his century, Kerala, led by Samson, unfortunately, couldn’t clinch victory against Railways.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: The match against Railways was a challenging one for the Kerala team. Tasked with chasing a target of 256 runs, the team stumbled early, losing two wickets for a mere 19 runs. Samson, as the captain, rose to the occasion, scoring 128 runs off 139 balls. His remarkable innings, however, was not enough to steer the team to victory.
Samson’s batting was particularly explosive during this match. He smashed 8 fours and 6 sixes, translating to 68 runs from just 14 balls. His aggressive approach was a testament to his exceptional batting skills and his ability to dominate the game.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Despite Samson’s century, Kerala fell short in their pursuit of victory against Railways. The lack of support from the other batsmen meant that Kerala could only muster 237 runs, losing 8 wickets in 50 overs. Shreyas Gopal’s solid innings of 53 runs provided some support, but it was not sufficient. On the bowling front, Railways’ Rahul Sharma impressed with a four-wicket haul.
Looking ahead, Sanju Samson is set to play in the Indian team for the ODI series against South Africa, starting December 17. However, he has been excluded from the T20 squad. This series will also see the debut of promising young players like Rinku Singh, Rajat Patidar, and Sai Sudarshan in the ODI format, marking a significant phase in the evolution of the Indian cricket team. Samson’s inclusion is a clear indicator of the team’s strategy to infuse fresh talent and explore new combinations in their batting lineup.
Image Credit – crictoday
