Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that opener Sanju Samson needs to immediately work on improving his game against short balls to avoid developing mental doubts. This comes after Samson’s recent performance, where he excelled in a T20 series against South Africa but struggled in a domestic series against England. In the series against England, Samson scored only 51 runs in five innings and was dismissed by fast bowlers each time, revealing a significant weakness against short-length balls. Additionally, he will now be sidelined for five to six weeks due to a finger injury sustained in the fifth T20 match.
Ashwin expressed his thoughts, stating that if Samson continues to be dismissed in the same manner, it could lead to unwanted questions in his mind. He might start wondering if the bowler is doing something exceptional or if there’s a flaw in his own game. Once such doubts arise, the situation becomes more challenging for the player. Ashwin shared his views on his Hindi YouTube channel, saying he doesn’t focus on a player’s failure in T20 cricket but rather how they’re getting out and the decisions they’re making. He believes players like Samson can find solutions and will focus on doing so.
Ashwin also mentioned Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, who, like Samson, struggled to score runs in the T20 series. Suryakumar had his worst bilateral series, scoring only 28 runs at an average of 5.6, including a duck. Ashwin thinks Suryakumar needs to change his approach to regain form. He suggested that it’s surprising to see Suryakumar struggling, especially when he knows how the bowlers are attacking him. Ashwin advised Suryakumar to adopt a different approach, either by playing differently to certain balls or avoiding them altogether, forcing the bowler to change their strategy. As an experienced player, Suryakumar has the ability, but now it’s time for him to work on his game and try new approaches.
Ashwin’s views can serve as valuable advice for talented players like Samson and Suryakumar Yadav, who can return to form by addressing their weaknesses.