Dhruv Jurel's selection for Australia ODIs irks Mohammad Kaif, names ‘much better option’: 'Did we forget Sanju Samson?'

KL Rahul has been India's designated keeper-batter in ODIs for quite some time now and he will remain so in Australia but with Rishabh Pant unavailable due to the foot injury he suffered in England, the debate was between Jurel and Samson for the second keeper's slot and the selectors went with the former instead of giving Samson another opportunity.

Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said Jurel was better suited to bat in the middle-order if the need arises in Australia and hence was given the nod ahead of Samson, who struggled a lot while batting at No.5 in the recently-concluded Asia Cup T20s, which India won. Samson has always been a top-order player and has achieved most of his success while batting in the top three but in the current Indian ODI side, he cannot bat higher than No.5 if given a chance.

Kaif, though all praise for Jurel's maturity and technique, however, thinks otherwise. The former India cricketer said leaving out Samson was a 'wrong decision' as he is a 'much better option' at No.5 or No.6

“I feel that Dhruv Jurel played really well when he scored that century (against WI). He looked very compact and organised, and he is definitely the future of Indian cricket. He has that ability to score in every match. But leaving out Sanju Samson was a wrong decision because Sanju usually plays in the lower order, around number 5 or 6, and for that position, he is a much better option than Jurel,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Kaif hailed Samson’s ability to clear the boundary consistently, especially against spinners, making him a better choice for the middle order. “At that spot, you need someone who can hit sixes, especially against spinners. We saw Sanju Samson’s strength in the Asia Cup. If he had gone to Australia, he would have hit Adam Zampa for maximums. He’s in the top 10 for most sixes in the IPL, and he fits perfectly at number 5 or 6 in Australian conditions,” Kaif added.

The former India batter also cautioned against judging selections solely on short-term form. “Right now, we tend to focus only on current form, like how well Jurel played recently, and in doing so, we forget players like Sanju who have been performing consistently and are deserving,” he said.

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