'One player was ready but not picked' - Kaif names star batter who should've been in India's T20 WC squad
Md Kaif names star batter who should've been in India squad for T20 WC Photograph:( AFP )
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Former Indian batter Mohammed Kaif named star player who should've been part of India's T20 World Cup campaign.
Former Indian batter Mohammed Kaif named star player who should've been part of India's T20 World Cup campaign.
Rohit Sharma-led India bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2022 edition with an ignoble 10-wicket defeat at the hands of eventual champions England in the semi-finals. After India's crushing loss, many former cricketers shared their opinions on India's overall run in the mega event and now Mohammed Kaif has joined the bandwagon. In a recent interaction, Kaif mentioned a star player's name who he says should have been a part of the Indian squad but wasn't given a chance despite being ready for the big-ticket tournament.
Speaking about Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain, Kaif feels India missed a trick by not picking the swashbuckling keeper-batter despite his good run of form in the India-South Africa ODIs, just before the T20 WC in Australia. "Speaking of the future, I think one player was ready but was still not picked for the World Cup. Sanju Samson was ready for the No. 5 position. He has been playing in the IPL for many years and has been leading the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as well. He guided them to the finals too this year," he told SportsKeeda.
"Samson played match-winning knocks in the West Indies. When 2–3 wickets fall, he comes in and attacks. He has the ability to take on spinners and hit them for fours and sixes. He was ready but was not picked for the World Cup. That was a mistake," Kaif added.
At present, Samson-starrer India's T20I squad is in New Zealand for the three-match series versus the Kane Williamson-led Black Caps. The series opener was washed out due to persistent rain on Friday (November 18) in Wellington and the Men in Blue will now be in action on Sunday (November 20). In the absence of regulars such as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, etc., Hardik Pandya-led India will look to challenge the Kiwis in their own backyard and give chances to youngsters.
