Team India`s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said that Sanju Samson is going through a rough phase, but added that it is a part of the cricketing career.
“Sanju is a senior player, he is very good. He probably has not scored as many runs as everybody would like, but that`s part of the cricketing career. Sometimes you have five innings in a row where you score so many runs and sometimes you have a little tight period,” he said.
So far, in the four T20I matches against New Zealand, Samson has scored just 40 runs with an average of 10.
The coach then said that it is the team management`s responsibility to keep a player in a good frame of mind during his rough patch.
“It`s all up to an individual how to keep his mind strong and, obviously, our job is to keep him in a good frame of mind. He is practicing and he is working hard, so we all know what Sanju is capable of. I don`t think anything more to say about Sanju because he has been really good,” added Kotak.
Further speaking, the batting coach said that the ongoing five-match T20I series has been useful for the “Men in Blue”, considering that the T20 World Cup is just around the corner.
“It`s been a very important series for us. It is obviously useful because before the World Cup you kind of start getting into a rhythm, you start finding the combinations and you try and give players an opportunity. All that you can do when we are playing. So, these five games, and obviously, before that South Africa (series) is also very useful for us,” he said.
The “Men in Blue” have already sealed the series by taking a lead of 3-1 against the “Black Caps”. After the conclusion of the series, both teams will engage in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Date and Venue
The fifth and final T20I match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on January 31 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
(With PTI Inputs)
