Former India chief selector MSK Prasad believes that there is no competition between Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav in the Indian team. Both players are part of the upcoming IND vs WI ODI and T20I series, which will follow the two Tests starting on Wednesday (July 12).
Sanju Samson has played only one international game this year due to injuries but has now made a comeback to the national team for the series against West Indies. Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, is part of both the ODI and T20I series. While he has faced some struggles in ODIs in 2023, he has shown outstanding form in the shortest format.
During an interview with Khel Now, MSK Prasad was asked about the competition between Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson in the ODI team. However, Prasad believes that there is no competition between the two. He states that Samson’s competition is only with a wicketkeeper-batsman.
“Surya is already there, I don’t think there will be competition between Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav. Sanju is a top-order batter and Surya is a middle-order number 4 and number 5 batter,” said MSK Prasad.
Prasad, a 51-year-old former player who represented India in 17 ODIs and 6 Tests, also suggests that Sanju Samson might open the innings with Rohit Sharma since he is a top-order batsman.
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“You never know, you can also see Sanju Samson open along with Rohit Sharma. So I don’t think there’s any competition between Sanju and Surya; the competition will be between Sanju and a wicketkeeper-batsman,” added Prasad.
However, considering the presence of players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill in the West Indies series, it is highly unlikely that Samson will open the innings with Rohit Sharma. Along with Samson, Ishan Kishan is the other wicketkeeper included in the IND vs WI ODI and IND vs WI T20I series.
The India vs West Indies series will commence with the two-match Test series. The first game will start on July 12, followed by the second match on July 20. The ODI series will begin with the opening game on July 27, followed by the next two matches on July 29 and August 1.
The series will conclude with the T20I series, consisting of five matches played from August 3 to 13. India has announced the squads for all three series, while West Indies has only announced the squad for the 1st Test, to be led by captain Kraigg Brathwaite.