I will be disappointed if Sanju Samson does not finish his career all guns blazing: Ravi Shastri

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri reckons he will be disappointed if Sanju Samson does not finish his career on a high. Samson was recently added to India’s ODI squad for the upcoming tour of the West Indies.

The Kerala batter is well known for his flamboyant game and he has played some breathtaking knocks in the IPL. However, Samson hasn’t been consistent enough in the domestic circuit.

Meanwhile, Samson has scored 330 runs in 11 ODI matches for India at an average of 66. But he is yet to grab his chances in the T20I format as he has amassed only 301 runs in 17 matches at an average of 20.07.

With the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant rising through the ranks, Sanju Samson has got limited opportunities for the national side.

“There is Sanju (Samson), who I believe is yet to realize his potential,” Shastri said.

“He is a match-winner. There is something that is missing. I will be disappointed if he does not finish his career all guns blazing. It is like when I was the coach, I would have been disappointed if Rohit Sharma had not played in my side as a regular Test player. Hence, his opening the batting. I feel similar with Sanju,” he added.

On the other hand, Shastri feels Hardik Pandya should take over as limited-overs captain after the conclusion of the upcoming World Cup. Pandya has impressed with his leadership skills in the IPL while captaining Gujarat Titans.

“Let’s be clear. His body (Hardik) cannot cope with Test cricket. After the World Cup, I feel he should take over captaincy in white-ball cricket. Rohit should lead India in the World Cup, no question there,” Shastri told The Week.

India will next take on West Indies in two Test matches, three ODIs, and five T20Is.