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In a unique and insightful video, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson offered a glimpse into his mind by constructing his ‘perfect batter’ from the traits of his teammates and his coach. This exercise, released by Sony Sports Network, provided fans with a fascinating look at the qualities he values in modern cricket.
Samson, who had a phenomenal run as an opener in 2024, is currently warming the bench in the Asia Cup 2025, with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma opening the innings. Despite his recent struggles against the short ball in England, his domestic form has been nothing short of spectacular, highlighted by a title win for his team in the Kerala Cricket League.
Indian wicketkeeper Sanju Samson creates his perfect batter
Samson’s choices for his ideal batter showcased a blend of power, elegance, and surprising attributes. For the quintessential ‘swagger,’ he looked no further than Hardik Pandya, stating, “Swagger has to be Hardik.” He praised the all-rounder’s confident demeanor and his ability to hit massive sixes. Next, he admired Abhishek Sharma‘s current form, noting, “I love how Abhishek is swinging it at the moment.” When it came to “power-hitting,” Samson cheekily picked himself, asserting, “Power hitting has to be me;” The wicketkeeper’s self-confidence is clearly high, backed by his incredible domestic form.
He continued his selections with two of India’s top batsmen. For “elegance,” he chose vice-captain Shubman Gill, known for his graceful cover drives and silky stroke play. For the all-important “range of shots,” he picked T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, famously known as “SKY,” adding, “I think the way he plays 360-degrees, I think that will be good,”
The most unexpected choice came for “defence.” Samson, observing a shift in modern T20 cricket, chose pacer Jasprit Bumrah, humorously explaining, “I do not see anyone defending nowadays. No one is doing it. Everyone is standing and hitting sixes.” To round out his perfect player, he chose head coach Gautam Gambhir for his “clutch performer” attribute, acknowledging Gambhir’s legendary match-winning innings in the finals of the T20 World Cup 2007 and the ODI World Cup 2011.
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Samson’s recent form and future prospects
After a period of inconsistency, Samson has found a new lease on life as an opener. In 2024, he scored 487 runs in 17 matches as a T20I opener at a blistering strike rate of 171.47, which included three centuries and a fifty. He hit three of these tons in a span of just five innings during the series against Bangladesh and South Africa. Despite his impressive international numbers, a brief struggle against the short ball in England T20Is saw him manage only 51 runs in five innings. However, he has recently bounced back in spectacular fashion in the Kerala Cricket League, where he was in phenomenal form.
In that tournament, he amassed 368 runs in just five matches at an incredible average of 73.60 and a strike rate of 186.80. He scored a century and three fifties, while also firing a total of 30 sixes, helping his team Kochi Blue Tigers win the title. Despite this rich vein of form, Samson has yet to bat in the ongoing Asia Cup, as he has been slotted into the middle order with India opting for the opening pair of Abhishek and Gill. With India already having secured a spot in the Super Four stage, fans are eagerly anticipating if he will get a chance to showcase his ‘perfect batter’ qualities on the field.
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