"Gets a consistent long run" - Wasim Jaffer backs Sanju Samson to get picked for India's limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand

Wasim Jaffer has backed wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson to be part of India's upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

The Men in Blue will start 2023 with three T20Is and as many ODIs against Sri Lanka. They will then lock horns with New Zealand in three ODIs and as many T20Is.

Jaffer feels Sanju should get a consistent run to prove his credentials in white-ball cricket. Taking to Twitter, the former India batter wrote:

"I hope Sanju Samson is part of India squads for both T20I and ODI series against SL and NZ. And gets a consistent long run. #INDvSL #INDvNZ."

Sanju has been in and out of the Indian side recently. He was part of the ODI squad that played against New Zealand in November but was shockingly left out of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. His last T20I appearance came in August against the West Indies earlier this year.

Sanju has been in breathtaking form in ODIs this year, smashing 284 runs in nine innings at an average of 71. The Kerala-born cricketer has scored 179 runs in five innings at an average of 44.75 at a strike rate of 158.40.

The right-handed batter, who leads the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL, had a good outing in 2022, scoring 458 runs at a strike rate of 146.79 from 17 games.

India's full schedule against Sri Lanka and West Indies

January 3 - India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I, Mumbai

January 5 - India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, Pune

January 7 - India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I, Rajkot

January 10 - India vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, Guwahati

January 12 - India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI, Kolkata

January 15 - India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, Thiruvananthapuram

January 18 - India vs New Zealand, 1st ODI, Hyderabad

January 21 - India vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI, Raipur

January 24 - India vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI, Indore

January 27 - India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I, Ranchi

January 29 - India vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I, Lucknow

February 1 - India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I, Ahmedabad

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Ankush, who captained his state in the National School games, is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin. He admires his unconventional thinking and his eagerness to keep learning despite being a legend of the game. His favorite cricket team is Australia because of their mentality and fighting spirit, and them beating India in the 2003 World Cup final left a lasting impression on him.

Apart from watching and covering cricket, Ankush also likes to read books whenever possible.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar