Sanju Samson's Road To India XI Has 2 Two Roadblocks, R Ashwin Names Them

Sanju Samson was not included in India's XI for the first T20I against South Africa. For a talented wicketkeeper-batter, it was a signal that the team may not be looking at him as a first-choice option. From the time Shubman Gill made an entry into the T20I XI, things were going to be tough for Samson, who made most of his runs as a T20I opener. The fact that Jitesh Sharma is now being preferred over him as a middle-order batter and wicketkeeper does not augur well for Samson. Ravichandran Ashwin was blunt in his analysis of Samson's situation.
"There was a lot of talk before the game that Sanju should play, and why is he not being played, and all that. Whenever Sanju is dropped from the team, there is always a discussion, the question of whether he got a fair run, and all that. The moment Shubman Gill came into the side, and as a vice-captain, Sanju was always going to find it difficult to get into the XI," R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"Sanju has not played enough at No.5, and Jitesh Sharma is there in the squad for his finishing abilities. That was the role he played for RCB, so it was always going to be difficult for Sanju. If you are playing Sanju, play him at No.3, use him against spin."
Ashwin also praised Hardik Pandya, who slammed a brilliant 59* off 27 balls.
"India were five down for literally nothing, from there they were able to score freely and get 170 plus. Hardik Pandya played a brilliant knock, it did not seem like he was coming back from an injury. He looked in pristine form, but South Africa did not have enough ammunition in their bank to restrict India," Ashwin said.
"The power that Hardik Pandya has, especially against spin. That bat swing is something that I would trade anything for. After watching his innings, I feel like he is supremely confident. He is not thinking about how many wickets have fallen, how much his score is, and all that. The ball is there to hit, he is hitting it. He is very clear in the head, and he is very confident in the way he is batting. There is no replacement for Hardik in India at this point in time, and I hope we can really find one," Ashwin said of his former teammate.