Sanju Samson of India (PTI Photo) Thiruvananthapuram: As temple bells rang across Thiruvananthapuram, the Indian team led by captain Suryakumar Yadav paid obeisance to the sacred Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple on Friday morning. The absence of one person cut through the moment like a deafening silence. Sanju Samson – local hero, crowd favorite – was conspicuously absent as temple customs prevented him from entering the sanctum. If anyone could take advantage of the comfort of divine intervention, it was Samson, who was still searching for a spark to reignite his flagging batting form.What followed in Visakhapatnam two days ago was all too familiar. Stay for 15 balls, little authority and another muted departure. Mitchell Santner delivered the final verdict, defeating Samson’s defence. He was on the back foot, the bat fumbled outside the line, the dismissal was technically explainable and emotionally predictable. It barely disrupted the evening, yet it rang loud in a career already filled with unresolved questions.
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Numbers offer a small refuge. Forty runs in four matches invites impatience, not indulgence. Samson’s opportunity in Vizag only came because Ishan Kishan was nursing a niggle – and Kishan’s form since then has only sharpened the selection arithmetic ahead of the T20 World Cup. He bats with clarity and purpose, a trait selectors tend to reward.Should Samson be left out of the show, India may be forced into an unconventional top order with three left-handers — Abhishek Sharma, Kishan and Tilak Varma. It raises questions of balance, but given Samson’s returns, it’s a trade-off selectors may be willing to accept.On the eve of the fifth T20, he was backed by Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. “Sanju is a senior player. He hasn’t scored as many runs as everyone would have liked, but that’s part of a cricketer’s career. It’s up to the individual to keep his mind strong and our job is to keep him in a good frame of mind.”Part of the problem is that nearly a decade after his international debut, Samson still lacks a clearly defined role. There were stretches when constancy seemed inevitable, notably the seven-match run against Bangladesh and South Africa where he hit three centuries as an opener.Still, every surge was followed by a reset. The England series revealed familiar fault lines, mid-IPL momentum stalled and the Asia Cup was pushed down the order to suit Shubman Gill.Batting the order blunted his rhythm and increased his vulnerability to spin.Former Kerala pacer Tina Yohannan weighs in. “There is nothing wrong with his technique. He was always a top player and never finished,” Yohannan said. TOI. “The lack of role clarity may have hurt his chances. If he drops out, bad luck – but good for Indian cricket because we have so many options now.”Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel insists Samson is one hit away from rediscovering his touch. But T20 cricket can be ruthless.There may still be one final audition — India’s last T20 before the World Cup. Samson’s career has always existed on fine margins. Right now, those spreads are narrowing rapidly.
