The Indian pundit group has received a lot of criticism for not giving Sanju Samson a chance in the rain-affected T20I series against New Zealand. With the ODI series against New Zealand starting on Friday, many are hoping the right-handed batsman will get a chance. In the absence of several first-choice players in ODIs since July, Samson made the most of his opportunities, scoring 248 runs in eight innings of 50+ at a high average of 82.66 and strike rate of 107.35, including two half-centuries. .
With India now on track to finalize their squad for next year’s ODI World Cup, it remains to be seen if the team will rely on Samson’s skills against New Zealand and then push him to play a bigger role in the middle. Especially with his ability to counter very well.
When asked what he thinks about players like Samson not getting as many opportunities as they would have liked, skipper Dhawan emphasized how communication plays a huge role in such a scenario. The left-handed starter said: “Mainly, all players go through this phase. It is good for the team that there are many good players in the team. In such cases, dialogue is the best option, either with the coach.” or the captain. Be from”.
Dhawan further explained how having communication and clarity on the bench can help players deal with being left out of the playing XI. “If there’s a conversation, then the player gets clarity on why he’s not playing and why, because there can be many reasons.”
“So when that clarity and transparency is there, even when someone is feeling down, which is very natural, it can be a huge factor for the greater benefit of the team,” he added.
Hoping for a place in the Indian team is something Dhawan knows all too well. He was voted Player of the Tournament at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup for scoring 505 runs at an average of 84.16, including three centuries. But he had to wait until 2010 to win his cap in India and as of 2013, he managed to establish himself as a mainstay across all formats.
He said: “Sometimes I give my example (how hard he had to work to establish himself in the Indian team), sometimes I don’t. It depends if the guys ask, then I tell them.”
