Being a Sanju Samson fan is like riding a rollercoaster. A grand one. Well, a grand one with your eyes closed. You never know what to expect.
He can force you to believe the unbelievable, but he can also make you scratch your head over the obvious. Right from his first-class debut until today, we have heard countless cricket voices, legends, commentators, and fans call him a once in a lifetime player, a player that has got the gift of time, a player with talent and potential like no other.
Has he been able to justify all of it? Yes and no. Intent is a word that has been used in Indian cricket for quite some time now. But players with intent are often ignored. Take Samson for example. One may argue that he has not had a great season thus far. The numbers aren't really what you would expect out of a player like him, but he has played the brand of T20 cricket that very few in the Indian set-up do.
But can playing a certain brand of cricket hide the numbers? Another word that is often thrown around in T20 cricket these days is 'Impact Innings'. Yes, the one Samson played vs GT in Qualifier one was an impact inning. An innings with a strike rate of 135 cannot be called an impact inning when you come out to bat at number 3.
Intent matters, yes. But only if that intent is being executed time and time again. Not every game, it isn't possible with the brand of cricket that the likes of Samson and Tripathi follow, but yes, more often than not, execution matters.
When Samson takes the field for Rajasthan Royals vs RCB, a lot will depend on the way he carries himself and performs. Buttler is an important player for RR, but Samson is Rajasthan's soul. Once he performs, the RR outfit will look like a world-beater. If he doesn't, then well, what is a team without a soul?
