'Case for Samson at…': Wasim poses tough questions for Dravid and Co. after India enter Super 8 in T20 WC

ByHT Sports Desk | Written by Siddharth Thakur, New Delhi

Jun 13, 2024 05:14 PM IST

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Should India alter its playing XI for the Canada clash at T20 World Cup? Wasim feels there's plenty to ponder for the Dravid-coached side.

Rohit Sharma admitted that India's early qualification into the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 was a ‘big relief’ for the Virat Kohli-starrer side. From Kohli opening the innings to Shivam Dube getting the nod ahead of Sanju Samson, Rahul Dravid-coached Indian side made some interesting choices to come up with the winning formula in their Group A meetings with Ireland, Pakistan and the United States of America (USA).

Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and teammates during a practice session ahead of India's ICC T20 World Cup match (ANI)

With India already qualified for the business end of the ICC event, the Rohit-led side can tweak their playing XI for their next game against Canada. Co-hosts USA and Babar Azam's Pakistan are fighting for the second spot in Group A to advance to the Super 8 phase of the T20 World Cup. Following India's impressive win over giant-killers USA on Wednesday, former India opener Wasim Jaffer observed that Samson might have a case for the No.4 position in the Indian lineup.

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'There might be a case for Sanju Samson at No. 4 but…'

"There might be a case for Sanju Samson at No. 4. But then Shivam Dube has got just a couple of games and the team management will want to give him a longer run. Whether Samson will play, whether Jaiswal will play, these decisions are something that the team management will need to think about going forward," Jaffer said on YouTube. While former India skipper Kohli recorded his second golden duck, skipper Rohit perished for 3 off 6 balls as USA reduced India to 39-3 in 7.3 overs.

After a slow start to the powerplay, India's run chase was revived by Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube as the duo added 67 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket stand. "You will need to be proactive in the powerplay. You will reach nowhere if you play cautiously on such pitches because the bowler knows he has to bowl on a spot and let the pitch do the rest. We have seen players like Rishabh Pant get rewarded for their bravery and that's the way you need to play with the powerplay restrictions," Jaffer added.

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