Former Indian batter Suresh Raina has backed Sanju Samson to score a century in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Samson hasn’t been in the best of forms but Raina has backed the opener to turn his form.

Samson was dismissed after scoring 24 runs off 15 balls in the penultimate match of the series against New Zealand at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Earlier in the series, Samson returned with scores of 10, 6, and 0. Thus, the Kerala batter has managed only 40 runs in four innings.

However, Samson has scored three T20I centuries and would want to be at his best in the T20I showpiece.

“Sanju Samson can be in that list. He (Samson) opens the batting and has the ability (to score 100). He has already scored a century (two) in South Africa. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are also there. One of them can make it. But somehow, I think Sanju can make a century in this T20 World Cup,” Suresh Raina said (via News 18).

The former CSK batter said Samson has the class in his batting and backed him to return back to his best like Suryakumar Yadav.

“I think form is temporary. Sanju has that class. He has done it (score runs) over the years, whether he is playing for India or not. He has made a lot of runs in T20 cricket. Look at Suryakumar Yadav. He hasn’t scored runs in almost one year. But still, the coach backed him. I think the same story is with Sanju. If he gets a chance, he will definitely do well,” Raina added.

On the other hand, the former Indian batter compared himself with Tilak Varma. Varma is currently out of action and he is expected to be fit for the World Cup.

“I think he is an absolutely solid player. The way he handles the pressure. The way he has become a fearless player. We saw him in the Asia Cup, the way he played against Pakistan, and he scored two centuries in South Africa. He’s a brilliant gun fielder. I see myself in him,” Raina said of Tilak Varma.

The fifth and final T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Thiruvanthapuram on Saturday.