Exclusive: 'His Best Is Yet To Come,' Says Sanju Samson's Childhood Coach Biju George Ahead Of India's Tour Of West Indies

Team India is scheduled to lock horns with West Indies in a multi-format series next month which includes Two Tests, Three ODIs and a T20I series as well. The upcoming games can give chances to players who impressed in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season if some of the senior India players are rested for India's tour of the West Indies.

One of the names which is among the reports to make a comeback in the Indian side is Sanju Samson. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper has always been in and out of the team without getting any consistent run.

He last played for India in a T20I against Sri Lanka but an injury ruled him out later. In his 13 innings in the IPL 2023, Sanju has scored 360 runs, which is a decent amount given his aggressive approach for his team's attack plan batting at number 3.

Reports suggest that Sanju Samson can make his comeback in the ODI as well as the T20I squad for India and his childhood coach Biju George shared his views to a Zeenews English journalist on the talented right-handed batter.

What would you suggest him for the tour?

"Sanju should back himself and play his natural game," said Biju who was coach of the talented batter from the age of 11 to 26.

In IPL 2023, Sanju played as an aggressive batter at number 3 which sometimes cracked his individual record due to the result of going after the bowlers from ball one. Biju suggested Sanju should not give up his attacking approach because of that but rather make a game plan of which set of bowlers he is going to charge after.

"No (on whether Sanju should change his playing style), he should stick to the style which made him a favourite player. However, At the same time he should know which bowler to dominate and also when to take the calculated risk."

We all know Samson is unstoppable when he gets going and those three sixes against Rashid in the recent IPL were proof. However, the aggressive nature and sheer power sometimes don't get the flying start it deserves and the balance is not right in Sanju's batting which is also quite visible when he gets out early trying to catch the required rate while chasing.

However, Biju thinks the best is yet to come in the coming years as he believes Sanju will know his best potential very soon.

When asked about whether he thinks Sanju can balance the approach and come up with a better plan against the opposition bowlers which can make him one of the best batters in the Indian lineup?

Biju said, "Definitely, the next three years can potentially be his best years. He will know his game the best and his best is yet to come."

In ODIs, Sanju has played for India 11 times 330 runs. While in T20Is, he has played 17 matches and scored 301 runs.

Rajasthan Royals trainer said "Sanju Samson gets around 15 crores, minimum 2 crores he helps domestic players & childrens who have lots of talent, more than Sanju the player, everyone wants Sanju the human to be successful and that is why he has lots of support". [Sports Vikatan] pic.twitter.com/hkNrZmeBV0 — Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 12, 2023

IND vs WI Schedule

Tests Schedule

1st Test Match: July 12-16 at Windsor Park, Dominica (07:30 PM IST)

2nd Test Match: July 20-24 at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad (07:30 PM IST)

ODIs Schedule

1st ODI: July 27, Kensington Oval, Barbados (7:00 PM IST)

2nd ODI: July 29, Kensington Oval, Barbados (7:00 PM IST)

3rd ODI: August 1, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad (7:00 PM IST)

T20Is Schedule

1st T20I: August 3, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad (7:00 PM IST)

2nd T20I: August 6, National Stadium, Guyana (7:00 PM IST)

3rd T20I: August 8, National Stadium Guyana (7:00 PM IST)

4th T20I: August 12, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida (7:00 PM IST)

5th T20I: August 13, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida (7:00 PM IST)

Biju George is associated with Steadfast Nutrition, a nutrition brand that backs several well-known athletes, and aims to make India protein-efficient by 2040 through its organ-friendly, rigorously-tested supplements and the sports capital of the world by 2050.

Founder Aman Puri understands the gaps in India between the Indian athletes’ need for high-quality supplements. He has helped numerous athletes reach their full potential. Recently, Steadfast Nutrition has also sponsored Asia's biggest bodybuilding event in New Delhi.