Sanju Samson Struggles Continue as Sunil Gavaskar Flags ‘No Footwork’ Flaw

India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson endured another disappointing outing in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, prompting sharp criticism from batting great Sunil Gavaskar, who highlighted a recurring technical flaw in Samson’s game.

During the fourth T20I at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Samson showed early promise while chasing a steep target of 216. Walking in after the early losses of Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav, he briefly stabilised the innings with fluent strokeplay, striking boundaries to ease the pressure.

However, just as he appeared set, Samson was bowled for 24 off 15 balls by New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner. The dismissal once again raised questions about his ability to negotiate spin under pressure.

On commentary, Gavaskar dissected the moment, pointing to Samson’s static footwork as the root cause. He noted that the batter barely moved his feet, chose to make room instead, and in doing so exposed his stumps. The former India captain stressed that against quality spin, such minimal movement leaves little margin for error.

Gavaskar further explained that repeatedly stepping outside the leg stump without decisive footwork made Samson vulnerable, a pattern that has now surfaced more than once in the series. With competition for spots intensifying and alternatives waiting in the wings, the scrutiny around Samson’s place in the playing XI is only set to grow.