EXCLUSIVE: Sanju Samson wins you games but needs to be consistent, says Ajit Agarkar

Agarkar said that there is no denying the talent Samson has. "The moment we see him playing, he wins you games," he said.

Hyderabad:Former India pace bowler-turned-commentator Ajit Agarkar feels hard-hitting batsman Sanju Samson needs to show consistency in his game with the continuous inflow of up-and-coming youngsters in the country, vying for a spot in the Indian cricket team.

Under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan, India will face Sri Lanka on July 18 and Samson will look to make the most of the opportunities in the lead up to T-20 World Cup.

"We all know the talent Sanju Samson has. I think he has got to get consistency because he is not a new player anymore," Agarkar told Etv Bharat.

The right-handed former bowler conceded that 26-year-old Samson is now an "experienced player" and he can't be provided a long rope, which should be the case for a youngster.

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"If he was a new guy, you give them a little bit of leeway, you give them a couple of seasons. But now he is an experienced player," he said, adding that there are players in the pool who are putting up more consistent performances than him.

"There is competition in the Indian team for places and there are other guys who are a bit more consistent than him," he said. Agarkar, however, accepted that T-20 is a "difficult format to be consistent".

Agarkar, who donned Indian jersey for 191 ODIs, will be commentating along with Sanjay Manjrekar and Ajay Jadeja in the series.

He said that there is no denying the talent Samson has. "The moment we see him playing, he wins you games," he said.

With the presence of Rishabh Pant and sparkles flowing off his bat in recent times that made him a hero of the Australian blockbuster where Indian beat them in their own country and subsequent carnage against England in the Test series, Samson's inclusion into the side looks grim. KL Rahul too has pouched a few behind the stumps for India and is flexible enough to open and bat in the middle-order.

But Agarkar still feels Samson can find himself in the squad with consistent performances.

"If he is consistent, I don't see why he won't be able to get into the team even if there are very few slots left," he said.

On Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return, Agarkar is confident that a fit Bhuvi, who once spearheaded India's attack, will make a strong comeback in the tour and make his case for the T20 World Cup.

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"Bhuvi really impressed in the England series with the white ball. It happens, if you are injured for a long time, you would start tentatively. So even though he didn’t pick that many wickets in the IPL, he is got the talent. He provides a different dimension to your attack," he said during the virtual press conference.

Bhuvneshwar is joining the team after a series of injuries that has affected his career since 2019. A troubled back kept him out of contention for a long time. Later, in the IPL, he couldn't play a few matches due to a troubled thigh.

The conversation veered towards the T20 World Cup and Indian team management seems to have decided on keeping the opening combination flexible with skipper Virat Kohli himself open to start the innings for the team.

Prithvi Shaw has been knocking on the door hard after a splendid domestic season while the team already has KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma in the ranks for the opening slot.

Considering multiple options that the team has, when this website asked Agarkar who would be his preferred combination, he said, "Rahul and Rohit."

"For me, Rahul and Rohit would be my opening partners for the T-20 World Cup. I think Virat is great at number three. I think KL Rahul is exceptional in T20 cricket and Rohit is Rohit. Unless they are out of form or not doing well, then you can think of other options. But for me, those two should open for India," he signed off.

When and where to watch:Watch the 1st ODI on 18th July 2021 LIVE on SONY TEN 1 and SONY SIX in English and Sony Ten 4 in Tamil from 3.00 pm IST

-- Ayushmaan Pandey