Hope Sanju Samson is part of SL, NZ white-ball squads: Wasim Jaffer

New Delhi [India], December 26 (ANI): Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has shown his support for wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, hoping that he is included in white-ball squads for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Jaffer wants Samson to get a “consistent run” in white-ball cricket. “I hope Sanju Samson is part of India squads for both the T20I and ODI series against SL and NZ. And gets a consistent long run. #INDvSL #INDvNZ,” tweeted Jaffer. Sri Lanka will be touring India from January 3 to January 15 for three T20Is and three ODIs.

Then from January 18 to February 1, New Zealand will be touring India for three T20Is and three ODIs as well. In 10 ODIs this year, Samson scored 284 runs at an average of 71.00, with two half-centuries and the best score of 86. In 6 T20Is this year, Samson scored 179 runs coming at an average of 44.75, with one half-century. His strike rate in T20Is this year is 158.40.

Out of his 27 international matches, Samson played 16 of them only this year, even though he had made his international debut back in 2015. In comparison, his biggest competition for the wicket-batter slot, Rishabh Pant, has not fared that well in white-ball cricket. In 25 T20Is this year, he has scored 364 runs at an average of 21.41, with one fifty and strike rate of 132.84. Though Pant has 336 runs in 12 ODI matches with one century and two fifties, he has been inconsistent for the rest of his innings.