IPL 2021: "Quite a few youngsters are like pre-paid sim cards” - Pragyan Ojha

Pragyan Ojha has used an interesting analogy to describe the situation of young players looking to break into the Indian team. The former left-arm spinner feels the young players are like pre-paid sim cards, as they have to consistently perform to cement their place in the team.

He made the observation while discussing Sanju Samson’s form in IPL 2021. The Rajasthan Royals captain failed to back up his brilliant 119 in his last game, departing for just four against the Delhi Capitals.

Pragyan Ojha spoke to Sports Today after RR beat DC by three wickets. He has urged youngsters like Samson to display more consistency with their performances.

“When you talk about Sanju Samson, there is one thing. When he came into this side, there was no Rishabh Pant, there was no Ishan Kishan. Quite a few youngsters are like pre-paid sim cards. They have to be renewed in the given time, otherwise the sims are dead. All these youngsters should understand they are not post-paid sim cards. They are pre-paid sim cards; to become postpaid, they have to perform consistently,” Ojha said.

Sanju Samson made his international debut in 2015 but has failed to nail down a starting berth for India.

He has been given multiple opportunities but has failed to grab them. Although Sanju Samson has impressed in spurts, his penchant for not converting his starts into big scores and his inconsistency has seen him fall behind the likes of Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan in the pecking order.

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are like post-paid sim cards - Pragyan Ojha

Pragyan Ojha feels the young Indians players need to transition from 'pre-paid sim cards' to 'post-paid' sim cards to cement their places in the team.

Continuing his analogy, Pragyan Ojha said the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have become 'post-paid sim cards' due to their consistent performances over the years.

“In this present Indian team, consider this interesting story: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are like post-paid sim cards. They can push themselves for a bit more time without paying the bills,” Pragyan Ojha said.

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson is in direct competition with the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan for a spot in the Indian white-ball team.

Not the ideal result, but @RishabhPant17 scored his first half-century as our Skipper!Well done, #RP17 on a resilient knock 🕷️#YehHaiNayiDilli #RRvDC #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/1lIfYgBWmn

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 16, 2021

The 26-year-old Samson has started IPL 2021 on the right note. A solid campaign could see him get into contention for a return to the Indian team ahead of the T20 World Cup.