Sanju Samson in Asia Cup 2023: Inconsistent performance might cost Kerala cricketer a place in Team India

Sanju Samson's Missed Opportunity in the West Indies Tour: One of the most promising cricketers, Sanju Samson, has failed to impress selectors with just one half-century in five innings on the West Indies tour. His close competitor Suryakumar Yadav has made a comeback in T20s.

With scores of 9, 51, 12, 7, and 13 in the Caribbean series across ODIs and T20Is, Samson once again struggled to maintain consistency. Often dubbed as Mr Inconsistent, Samson's performance has been underwhelming.

A Golden Opportunity Lost for Sanju Samson

With Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul still recovering from injury, IND vs WI series was supposed to be Sanju Samson's ticket to World Cup 2023. However, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter only managed to score 1 half-century in five innings and is now unlikely to make it into the Asia Cup and WC squads.

Inconsistency Plagues Sanju Samson's Career

Despite having good numbers in ODIs, Sanju Samson has been inconsistent throughout his career. He failed to show the X Factor that Suryakumar Yadav offers in ODIs and struggled to perform consistently in both ODIs and T20Is.

After an impressive knock of 51 in the third ODI, which many felt he could have elongated, Samson failed to perform in all three T20Is. His dismissal form once again raised the debate about his temperament and that ultimately might lead to his exclusion from the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup squads.

The Rise of Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is

While fighting for a spot against Suryakumar, Samson couldn't match up to his rival's outlandish innings in the T20I series. Despite having better numbers in ODIs, Samson's inconsistency and lack of temperament might have just cost him a place in the Asia Cup 2023 squad.

A good show from his immediate competitors in the continental showpiece which will act as a pre-cursor to the ICC ODI World Cup in October-November, might further push him down in the pecking order.

SKY too had a disappointing ODI series in the Caribbean but the explosive right-handed batter might get a preference over Samson in the Asia Cup 2023 for playing some mature knocks under pressure against West Indies. The Mumbaikar - who is the number-one ranked batter in the T20I rankings - can be the X-factor for the team should he find his groove in the 50-over format.

Ishan Kishan also poses a challenge to Samson

Left-handed batter Ishan Kishan has also blown hot and cold with the bat but the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter has made some opportunities count and played big knocks in the ODIs. The left-handed batter - who can bat at any position - might just pip Samson to become the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in the Asia Cup and later World Cup.