Robin Uthappa discusses Sanju Samson’s ongoing challenges in Indian cricket

Former India opener Robin Uthappa has weighed in on Sanju Samson’s future with the Indian cricket team after the wicketkeeper-batter was left out of the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.

India recently announced their squads for the white-ball series, which marks Gautam Gambhir’s debut as the team head coach. Gambhir will hold the position until 2027 and oversee his first assignment against Sri Lanka.

Samson, who scored a century in his last ODI against South Africa in Paarl, was a surprising omission for many.

However, Uthappa believes that Samson has faced similar situations and will likely encounter them again.

"From Sanju's perspective, this is not the first time he has gone through it. I don't think it will be the last time he will go through it as a player, but Sanju's one-day numbers have been quite incredible,” Uthappa said.

The former wicketkeeper batter emphasized the need for patience amidst changes in the leadership group, suggesting that both fans and supporters of the Indian cricket team should allow time for the new setup to stabilize.

“I think, again, with changes in leadership group or changes within the leadership group. Things have to kind of settle down a little bit and we as fans and supporters of the Indian cricket team have to give that space to kind of settle down as well," he said.

Despite the setback, Uthappa remains optimistic about Samson’s future prospects with the team, stressing the importance of making the most of upcoming opportunities.

"So, I think Sanju is not out of contention as with any other player. I think. It's a matter of time, and he will get his opportunity, but when the opportunities do come, he will have to grab those opportunities to make sure he steps up with solid performances that keep him in the running," he concluded.

India's squads for Sri Lanka series

T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ꮪhubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.