Mohammad Kaif discards 2 star players for middle-order role, says Sanju Samson ready for World Cup 2023

Add as a preferred source on Google

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has backed Sanju Samson to bat in the middle-order for the Men in Blue in the World Cup 2023 which is set to begin from October 5.

Kaif heaped praises on Samson for his knock against West Indies in the third ODI against West Indies on Tuesday. Coming to bat at four, Samson smashed 51 runs off 41 balls to lay out a perfect foundation for batters coming after him to take India past 350.

Samson's third-wicket partnership with Shubman Gill accounted for 69 runs off 53 balls. Samson scored 51 of those runs in 41 balls after the run-scoring slowed down after the fall of Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad's wicket. While Gill, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav endured a slow start to their innings, Samson got going from ball one and kept the momentum going for India.

"I am massively impressed by Samson. He played an impactful knock, whether at four or five, he has done it in the past," Kaif said on the launch of Amrit Mathur's book 'Pitchside - My Life in Indian Cricket' on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old added that it would be a wrong idea to try out Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel in the middle-order. He added that Team India needs a player who can play left-arm spin and leg spin, and Samson would be the ideal candidate under such circumstances.

"Sending Kishan or Axar Patel in the middle order is not a great idea. You need someone who can play left-arm spin, leg spin and Samson can do that. His knock in the third ODI came under pressure and he is ready for the World Cup," Kaif added.

Notably, Ishan Kishan opened in three ODIs against West Indies and scored a fifty in each of the innings. The 25-year-old is likely to be the backup opener for India but there is a new theory doing rounds that Gill could be sent in the middle-order to allow the southpaw to open with captain Rohit Sharma.

Kishan and Samson are part of the 5-match T20I series against West Indies which starts from Thursday, August 3. Samson would also travel to Ireland to play three T20Is under Jasprit Bumrah.