Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin knows how to handle online trolls and his latest response to a social media user has left cricket fans amused. Ashwin came up with a witty reply after a netizen questioned his continued support for Sanju Samson, who struggled to score runs in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand.
Sanju Samson was dismissed for just four runs in the fifth and final T20I on Sunday, November 1. He finished the five-match series with 107 runs, despite starting strongly with a 67-run knock in the opening match on October 22. However, his performances declined in the remaining four games, where he scored 14, 18, 4 and 4.
Sanju Samson’s continued presence in the playing XI also meant that young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got opportunities in only two matches. The 15-year-old batted at No. 3 in one game and opened the innings in the other, which is his preferred position.
Following Sanju Samson’s latest failure, a social media user took a dig at R Ashwin for considering the Kerala batter his first-choice player. The user pointed out that Sanju Samson had failed to deliver throughout the series. Ashwin, however, responded with a hilarious one-liner. He said that Sanju Samson was his first choice, while the netizen seemed to have a full-time obsession with the cricketer. His reply quickly grabbed attention on social media.
Here is Ravichandran Ashwin’s response:
https://x.com/ashwinravi99/status/2116833295946383634
Although Sanju Samson appeared to have strong support from the Indian dressing room, his performances in the series failed to justify the confidence placed in him. This is not the first time he has faced questions over his inconsistent batting performances. After producing impressive performances in the T20 World Cup, he struggled against Ireland and England, registering scores of 5, 0, 1, 27 and 10. Following that disappointing run, he was dropped from the playing XI, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi getting an opportunity in his place.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also played an important role in India’s T20I series victory in Zimbabwe, a series in which Sanju Samson did not feature. The senior batter returned to the Indian team for the home T20I series against Afghanistan and scored 10, 57 and 50 in the three matches.
However, his inconsistent run continued at the Asian Games, where he managed scores of 9, 7 and 2. He also scored just 11 runs against the West Indies in Lucknow before making a strong comeback with an 82 in the following match. Sanju Samson then continued his recovery with another half-century, scoring 56 in the fourth T20I.
India’s next T20I assignment will be against Sri Lanka, with the series scheduled to begin on December 22. Before that, Sanju Samson’s domestic team Kerala will face Assam in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match on December 14.
It remains to be seen whether Sanju Samson participates in the domestic fixture to regain his rhythm and confidence before the next international assignment. With competition for places increasing, his performances in the coming matches could be important for his future in India’s T20I setup.
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