Former India player Mohammed Kaif feels that Sanju Samson might open the innings for Rajasthan Royals alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Kaif’s comments come after Samson’s terrific hundred against South Africa at Kingsmead on Friday, November 8.’
Speaking via his social media channels, Kaif praised Samson’s terrific innings in Durban and said that the batter showed incredible hitting ability on his back foot in testing South African conditions. Kaif further added that Rajasthan might not need Jos Buttler for the next season as they have an able opener at the helm of the team, who could anchor the innings for the 20 overs.
“His stars are finally shining. Back-to-back centuries for him and this time in South Africa. And as an opener, in conditions where the conditions are challenging, Samson showed the way. Samson showed his backfoot game, hit sensational sixes and played a terrific innings. I think Sanju might open with Jaiswal for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. They might do the same thing that Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head do for SRH. I hope that Rajasthan do not spend a lot of money on Buttler because Sanju and Jaiswal might be a treat to watch,” Mohammed Kaif said via a video on his social media handles.
Why Sanju Samson should open for Rajasthan Royals and the importance of backfoot play in South Africa. #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/oP1qDSFtlq
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) November 9, 2024
Samson became the first Indian batter and only the fourth in the world to hit hundreds in back-to-back T20I matches. Samson had hit a 47-ball 111 in Hyderabad on October 12 against Bangladesh in India’s last T20I assignment. He continued from where he left in Deccan to hit a 47-ball hundred in the T20I series opener against South Africa in Durban.
Sanju Samson looked at his confident best on Friday, November 8 as he put the South African attack under pressure. India lost young opener Abhishek Sharma early, but Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav unleashed the big ones in the powerplay, helping India score 56 runs in the first six overs. Samson hit 35 runs off just 20 balls in the powerplay, making his intentions clear from the word go.
A total of 11 Indian batters have scored hundreds in T20I cricket and only four of them have managed to do so more than once. Sanju Samson joined his captain, Suryakumar, his former captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in an elite list of Indian batters with multiple T20I hundreds in their careers.
Samson was equally severe against fast bowlers and spin bowlers as he tore into the South African bowling attack. The Kerala batting superstar hit 7 boundaries and 9 sixes in his belligerent knock that set the tone for India’s potential big total in the series opener at Kingsmead, Durban.
