Former India Test opener Wasim Jaffer believes Sanju Samson understands the challenges of maintaining consistency in T20I cricket. He also praised the wicketkeeper-batter for his ability to win matches for India when he gets going.
Samson scored just three runs off six balls in the third T20I against the West Indies in Indore on Sunday. India posted 223 runs in 20 overs before restricting the visitors to 209/7 to win the match by 14 runs and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
However, Samson’s consistency has been a problem in the recent past. He scored two fifties against Afghanistan and also scored 82 runs off 41 balls in the second T20I against the West Indies. But barring these three knocks, Samson has failed to deliver after the T20 World Cup 2026.
Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube Channel, “It is difficult to score runs consistently in this format, unlike in ODI cricket or Test matches, because it is such a high-risk game. You have to play so many shots, so maintaining consistency is very difficult. Sanju Samson understands this very well. Yesterday, he actually mistimed a shot, which led to his dismissal. But Sanju Samson is a class player.
“The reason India’s T20I team looks so strong is that Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma play a huge role in it. They provide the platform from which we can eventually post totals of 220, 240 or even 250 runs. I feel Sanju Samson understands this, but we must also understand that maintaining consistency is very difficult. However, when he gets going, he can win matches for you,” he added.
The former Vidarbha player said Abhishek Sharma has understood how he needs to play consistently in the T20I format. Sharma scored a stunning knock of 69 runs off 30 balls in the third game against the West Indies.
Jaffer concluded, “There has been a big change in him. Earlier, there was some immaturity, which was understandable because he was new to the team. But now, it seems he has understood how to play in T20 cricket. When Abhishek plays in the powerplay, it feels like India can reach 80-90 runs and, on several occasions, even 100. And with Abhishek being a left-hander, we often talk about how well he plays spin. Even yesterday, you could see the way he attacked the spinners.”
The fourth T20I between India and the West Indies will be played at Hyderabad on Wednesday.
