Tuesday was arguably the most significant day in
Sanju Samson's career. Along with Rishabh Pant, he was named in
India's T20 World Cup squad as a wicketkeeper. It was the first time he was named in any World Cup squad.
Samson's talent was always evident, which is why he has been on the periphery of the Indian team for the last five years. Since the start of 2020, he has played 24 T20Is, more than what Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja (20 each) have played.
But he was rarely the first choice. He was either an injury replacement or part of a second-string side. So he never got an uninterrupted run; in the last three years, only once did he play in two back-to-back T20I series. That, among other things, could be a reason why he was not able to convert his talent into performance.
Another peculiar thing with Samson was that he would start an IPL season with a bang but it would soon
turn into a whimper.