Sanju Samson has long been regarded as one of Indian cricket’s most gifted fringe players. From the early days of his career, he promised big things — a mix of elegant strokeplay and fearless intent. But despite the flashes of brilliance, Samson is yet to cement his place in the Indian T20I setup.
After years of waiting, the wicketkeeper-batter finally got a decent run in India’s T20I side. While there were moments where his talent was on full display, consistency remained elusive — the very trait that often separates top-level performers from those who fall short.
IPL 2025: A Missed Opportunity?
This season was seen as a golden chance for Samson to stake his claim for a permanent spot in India’s top order, especially with a T20 World Cup on the horizon. But injuries, coupled with a string of average performances, have set him back. Meanwhile, several emerging players have made strong cases for themselves, making the race for top-order slots even more competitive.
The Numbers Tell the Story
In modern T20 cricket, a top-order batter is judged on three key metrics: total runs, consistency, and strike rate. Here’s how Samson stacks up compared to some of his competitors:
| Player | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sai Sudharsan | 509 | 46.27 | 153.31 |
| Shubman Gill | 508 | 50.80 | 152.55 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 523 | 43.58 | 158.00 |
| Prabhsimran Singh | 458 | 38.16 | 171.53 |
| Priyansh Arya | 356 | 29.66 | 190.37 |
| Sanju Samson | 244 | 34.85 | 141.86 |
While Samson’s average isn’t poor, he hasn’t delivered enough impactful or match-defining innings. His strike rate, too, lags behind in an era where teams expect openers to provide explosive starts without compromising consistency.
Consistency: The Key Selector Metric
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Let’s look at another telling metric — the frequency of 50+ scores:
| Player | Matches | 50+ Scores | Consistency Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | 11 | 5 | 45.45% |
| Sai Sudharsan | 11 | 5 | 45.45% |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 13 | 6 | 46.15% |
| Prabhsimran Singh | 12 | 4 | 33.33% |
| Priyansh Arya | 12 | 2 | 16.66% |
| Sanju Samson | 8 | 1 | 12.50% |
This stat paints a clear picture. Samson’s ability to convert starts into meaningful scores has dipped significantly, and in international cricket, selectors tend to favour consistency under pressure.
The Tactical Shift in T20 Cricket
Beyond the stats, the modern T20 game is increasingly about specialized roles and tactical balance. Teams prefer top-order batters who can dominate the powerplay with calculated aggression or bring left-right combinations into play.
Samson, with his classical technique and elegant stroke-making, has an old-school charm. But his style might be less aligned with today’s fast-paced, data-driven T20 strategies. In contrast:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal brings left-handed aggression and maximizes the powerplay.
- Shubman Gill blends technical finesse with calculated attacking play.
- Sai Sudharsan offers stability and acceleration as a left-hander.
- Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya represent the new age of fearless, attacking top-order play.
