Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed concern regarding Sanju Samson's performance and the manner of his dismissals during the five-match T20I series against England. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter struggled against high-quality short-pitch fast bowling, resulting in repeated dismissals in a similar fashion.

Throughout the series, Samson was unable to find his rhythm, accumulating only 51 runs across five matches, with individual scores of 26, 5, 3, 1, and 16. The 30-year-old faced significant challenges against the extreme pace of bowlers such as Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, and Saqib Mahood.

In each of the five T20Is, Samson struggled to defend against deliveries directed at his body, leading to a series of catches in the deep. Ashwin believes that this recurring pattern could have a detrimental effect on Samson's mental state. 

"If Sanju continues to be dismissed in this manner, it can play tricks on his mind as a batter. He may start to question whether the bowler is performing exceptionally well or if he has a personal shortcoming," Ashwin remarked on his YouTube channel, 'Ash Ki Baat'. 

"Will I be able to adapt? When such questions arise, it becomes increasingly challenging," he added, noting his close observations of Samson during their time together at Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Ashwin cites Sachin Tendulkar's advice

Ravichandran Ashwin referenced the guidance of Sachin Tendulkar during the recent Naman Awards, where the legendary cricketer received the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Sachin Tendulkar mentioned at the BCCI awards ceremony that one should perform numerous repetitions to enable the subconscious mind to take control," Ashwin stated.

"However, if there is excessive confusion within the subconscious, batting transforms into a completely different challenge," he continued.

In the fifth and final T20I against England at Wankhede Stadium, Sanju Samson sustained an injury from a delivery by Jofra Archer. Consequently, he will be unavailable for 4-6 weeks due to a fractured index finger, which will prevent him from participating in Kerala's Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Jammu and Kashmir.

Sanju Samson is expected to commence training following rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is anticipated to make his return to competitive cricket in IPL 2025.

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