Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shared a frank assessment of Sanju Samson, questioning his consistency ahead of India’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has raised concerns over Sanju Samson’s lack of consistency ahead of India’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which begins on January 21 in Nagpur.
Pathan acknowledged Samson’s ability to play aggressive innings but pointed out that such performances arrive in patches. He felt the top-order batter struggles to maintain form over longer periods, which continues to affect his reliability at the international level. According to Pathan, sudden big scores often follow quiet phases, and he does not see that pattern changing soon.
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“Inconsistencies will be there, and a lot will depend on what the team management think about that, and how much patience the fans and pundits have. All of this has an impact on the player as well. Sanju Samson has never been a consistent player. He has been explosive. He will suddenly score a hundred and then the runs will not come, he has been that type of a player. Will all of that change now? I don’t think so,” said Irfan in a video on his YouTube channel.
Irfan Pathan Calls For Bumrah To Play All Five T20Is
Pathan also shared his view on Jasprit Bumrah’s role in the series. He urged the team management to play the fast bowler in all five matches.
“Now there should be no talk of pick and choose or rest. I want to see Jasprit Bumrah in top form going into the World Cup. Every bowler takes a while to hit their level after coming in from a break. It should not happen that he is playing 1-2 games, and then sitting out the next, I don’t want to see that happen. He should play all five matches,” he concluded.
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