Sanju Samson's scores in each of 12 ODI matches, is it right to rate him over his batting average?

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There was a lot of furore when Sanju Samson did not get a place in the India eleven for the first ODI against West Indies on July 27. Cut to the second ODI, the Kerala batting superstar was batting at number three.

He had ample time in the match to prove his mettle and throw his hat in the ring for ODI World Cup 2023 selection. However, nine runs off 19 balls is all the 28-year-old could manage.

The good news for Samson is that Suryakumar Yadav, his number of competition at the moment, also could not do much. He walked in the series on the back of three consecutive ducks and now has scores of 19 and 24 from the two matches of the 3-match series.

The unlucky thing for Samson is that he hasn't ever got a long rope like Suryakumar Yadav. He has been in and out of the team since his debut in 2015. The wicketkeeper-batter has played just 12 ODIs and 17 ODIs.

In this article, we take a look at runs of Sanju Samson in each of the ODI innings he has played till date.

• 1st ODI match vs Sri Lanka on July 23, 2021: 46 runs off 46 balls
• 2nd ODI match vs West Indies on July 22, 2022: 12 runs off 18 balls
• 3rd ODI match vs West Indies on July 24, 2022: 54 off 51
• 4th ODI match vs West Indies on July 27, 2022: 6* off seven balls
• 5th ODI match vs Zimbabwe on August 18, 2022: Did not bat
• 6th ODI match vs Zimbabwe on August 20, 2022: 43* off 39 balls
• 7th ODI match vs Zimbabwe on August 22, 2022: 15 off 13 balls
• 8th ODI match vs South Africa on October 6, 2022: 86* off 63
• 9th ODI match vs South Africa on October 9, 2022: 30* off 36 balls
• 10th ODI match vs South Africa on October 12, 2022: 2* off 4 balls
• 11th ODI match vs New Zealand on November 25, 2022: 36 off 38 balls
• 12th ODI match vs West Indies on July 29, 2023: 9 off 19

Is it right to rate Sanju Samson over his ODI batting average of 56.50?

Yes, it definitely can be a criteria even though the sample size is really small. Samson has shown spark in the limited opportunities he has got. Had he got a longer run like a certain Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan or Shubman Gill, he would have felt more secure and the rhythm would also have been in his side.

Cricket is a sport which brings the best out of a player when he is given a longer run. Great players in the past were given assurance of 10-12 consecutive matches without being dropped irrespective of their performance. The same hasn't been the case with Samson. In the limited ODI outings given to him, the right-hander has shown that this is one format in which he can excel leaps and bounds.