Sanju Samson has scored only 35 runs in 4 innings against England in T20Is. What is going wrong with his approach tactically?
Three centuries in five T20Is—that’s an enviable record. Any other player with such a ton-making streak would be assured of more opportunities in T20Is. However, that hasn’t been the case for India’s T20I opener, Sanju Samson. Following four low scores since his third T20I century, questions have emerged about his form, consistency, and, more importantly, a potential weakness against short-pitched bowling.
In the on-going home series against England, Samson’s scores in the last four T20Is read 26, 5, 3, and 1. Before the series, he had posted scores of 111, 107, 0, 0, and 109* in his previous five T20Is. Once again, he finds himself at the centre of discussions for all the wrong reasons—most notably, his recurring struggles with inconsistency.
This time, however, the concern is his repeated failure against short-pitched deliveries. A closer look at his dismissals in the four T20Is against England reveals a pattern—Samson has consistently fallen while attempting to pull short or hard-length balls.
Here’s a look at his dismissals against England so far
First T20I at Kolkata: Samson looked in good touch, racing to 26 runs with four fours and a six. However, he was rushed into a pull shot by a short delivery from Jofra Archer. The ball struck high on his bat, resulting in a well-judged running catch by Gus Atkinson at deep midwicket.
Second T20I at Chennai: Archer got the better of Samson once again. Attempting to hoick a short ball, Samson found himself cramped for room, failing to generate enough power. Brydon Carse took a simple catch in the deep, dismissing Samson for just 5
.
Third T20I at Rajkot: Samson fell to Archer for the third consecutive time. This time, he misjudged a hard-length delivery, failing to launch it straight down the ground. Adil Rashid completed a well-timed running catch from mid-on, sending Samson back for just 3.
Fourth T20I at Pune: A near-identical dismissal followed. Samson attempted another pull shot but was once again cramped for room by a sharp, short delivery from Saqib Mahmood. Following his instincts, he went through with the shot, only to hole out in the deep to Carse for 1.
All four dismissals share a common pattern—Samson has struggled against short-pitched deliveries, repeatedly falling while attempting pull shots. England’s pacers have been quick enough to rush him into making errors.
Decoding Samson’s abrupt downfall
Samson is known for his free-flowing batting, making lofted shots, cuts, drives, hoicks, slogs, and pulls look effortless—until this series. In just a few weeks, his fortunes have taken a drastic turn, with runs no longer coming as freely as they did in the T20I series preceding the England series. A few factors may be playing on Samson’s mind.
Missing out on Vijay Hazare Trophy
First, he was not selected in Kerala’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy after failing to make himself available for the preparatory camp. This decision not only angered the Kerala Cricket Association but also reportedly upset the BCCI, which has now mandated that all players must participate in domestic cricket unless engaged in international commitments or side-lined due to injury.
Samson had recently led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but opted out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The exact reason for his unavailability remains unknown. However, his reluctance to attend the camp could have played a role in his omission from both the Vijay Hazare squad and the Champions Trophy squad.
Samson’s ODI snub
Samson had scored a century in his last ODI and was a frontrunner for a place in the Champions Trophy squad after a strong run in T20Is. However, his absence from Kerala’s preparatory camp may have contributed to his exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad as well. While these are just speculations, missing out on the tournament was undoubtedly a lost opportunity for Samson to strengthen his case in ODIs.
Additionally, Samson has appeared rushed in all four T20Is against England so far, despite adhering to India’s aggressive T20I approach. He seems eager to score quick runs but hasn’t looked entirely comfortable with the pace of the wickets. The controversy surrounding his omission from the Vijay Hazare Trophy may be weighing on his mind, leading him to try too hard in T20Is—ultimately resulting in his dismissals.
Read More: SL vs IND: Samson's failures come back to haunt him; Has he lost claim to a spot in national side?
Actual weakness to short-pitched deliveries
Well, this may or may not be entirely true. However, according to an analysis by Cricinfo, Samson has been dismissed nine times off short balls out of a total of 18 caught dismissals to fast bowlers in T20Is.
That said, ask any cricketer, and they will likely dismiss the idea of having a weakness against short-pitched deliveries—or any particular type of delivery.
At the moment, though, bowlers are effectively targeting Samson with short balls, capitalising on his instinctive pull shot, which often results in him fusing out to a well-planned short-ball trap.
Samson’s keys to improvement
Sanju Samson needs a few solid knocks in the middle and perhaps a bit of luck to turn things around. Spending extra time in the nets to work on any possible flaws against short-pitched deliveries could help. Revisiting footage of his three recent T20I centuries might also boost his confidence and help him rediscover his rhythm.
However, time is running out for Samson. There is intense competition for spots in the T20I squad, with Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting for an opportunity to claim the opener’s slot. Samson must get back to scoring consistently, as only regular big scores will secure his place in T20Is—the only format where he currently has a chance to showcase his stroke-making to the world.
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