Explained: Sanju Samson's Performance as an Opener in T20 Cricket

The Indian team is gearing up for the T20I series against Bangladesh after whitewashing them in the Test series. Sanju Samsnon has been confirmed to open the innings along with Abhishek Sharma by India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.

The Thiruvananthapuram cricketer has had a lot of ups and downs in his career. While the fans wish to see a lot more of him in the international circuit, he has not gotten consistent opportunities. 

In the absence of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who are slated to be India's next generation of openers, Samson has a golden opportunity to cement his place in the team. 

Meanwhile, the opening position is not new for the 29-year-old. He has played a few matches for India at the top of the order and has opened in a fair share of matches in the IPL. 

In five innings for India, Samson has scored 105 runs at a strike rate of 161, with 77 being his highest score. In the IPL, he has opened the innings on 24 occasions and has scored 559 runs at a strike rate of 135. The wicketkeeper-batter has scored three half-centuries in the tournament as an opener, with 74 being his highest. 

Can Sanju Samson make a permanent spot in the Indian team? 

Samson has been around the international circuit for a while now. He made his T20I debut in 2015 but has only played 30 games for India. His inconsistency with the bat has resulted in him being in and out of the team.

Even if is included in the squad, the Kerala cricketer seldom gets a chance to play an entire bilateral series. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format of the game, Sanju Samson is expected to be given a lot more opportunities. 

However, for that to turn into a reality, Samson will have to give consistent and impactful performances, starting with the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh. He has a chance to play all three games of the series.