“No space for him,” Ravichandran Ashwin gives blunt VERDICT on Sanju Samson’s role in ODIs

Ashwin asserted that if KL Rahul or Shreyas Iyer is available, one of them will be included in the playing XI.

“No space for him,” Ravichandran Ashwin gives blunt VERDICT on Sanju Samson’s role in ODIs

Sanju Samson, Ravichandran Ashwin (Images via Hindustan Times, Getty)

Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels there is no space for Sanju Samson in the top 4 for the upcoming ODI World Cup in October this year. Almost two months are left for the all-important event and Indian management has to hurry up to decide their final team combination.

The Indian management has already done an experiment with their team composition by resting Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma in the second and third ODI against West Indies. Samson, in the third ODI and decider, scored his half-century batting at No.4.

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When the Kerala-born batter was included in the team, many fans expected him to score more runs but his bat did not talk much except for the lone half-century. In the two T20Is India have played against West Indies, Samson scored just seven off seven balls and 12 off 12 balls. Speaking specifically on Samson’s role for India in the ODIs, Ashwin said that the No.3 and No.4 slot is not open for the 28-year-old, asserting that if KL Rahul or Shreyas Iyer is available, one of them will be included in the playing XI.

“He is a very good guy and we all want good for him. But the role we expect from Sanju when it comes to Team India is different. There is no space for him in the Top 4,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

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Parthiv Patel says Sanju Samson failed to prove himself when given opportunities

"No space for him," Ravichandran Ashwin gives blunt VERDICT on Sanju Samson's role in ODIs
Sanju Samson (Image via Times of India)

There is often a massive uproar on Twitter if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) excludes Sanju Samson from the squad. But the management gave few of those limited opportunities to Samson in the white-ball series in West Indies.

After his poor show in the first two T20Is, former India cricketer Parthiv Patel, on Cricbuzz, said every time when Samson is not in the squad, he becomes a talking point. But despite getting chances to bat, he has not produced remarkable performances. Parthiv thinks the time is running out for Samson.

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