'He will bat at five or six' - KL Rahul on Sanju Samson's batting position in ODI series against South Africa

After a heartbreaking loss in the ODI World Cup 2023 final, team India will start their new journey in the 50-over format as they take on South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday, December 17 at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. Team India will be led by KL Rahul who will also be playing his international game since the ODI World Cup.

Ahead of the first game, Rahul spoke about several youngsters who are part of the squad and will be seen in the playing XI in the upcoming series. One of the most talked about player is Sanju Samson who hasn’t got many opportunities in the ODI side despite averaging over 55 in the 12 innings he’s played.

Speaking about Samson’s role in the team, Rahul said that he will bat in the middle order while Rahul will continue to don the wicketkeeping gloves. However, he also said that if an opportunity arises for him to keep that he will also be given that role.

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“Sanju will bat in the middle order and that’s the role that he’s played whenever he’s played ODI cricket. He will bat at either five or six and he will play that role. For now, I’m going to do wicketkeeping in the series but there’s an opportunity for Sanju to keep. He will keep at some point,” said Rahul in the pre-match press conference.

Another player who’s been making rapid strides in his international career is Rinku Singh. The southpaw has played several impactful knocks in his T20I career so far and is making a strong case for his selection in the ODIs as well.

Speaking about the possibility of Rinku Singh finding a place in the upcoming series, Rahul lauded his game awareness and calmness under pressure and stated that he will get an opportunity even in the ODIs as well.

Rinku will get his opportunity even in the ODI series: KL Rahul

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“Yeah I think so obviously, he’s shown what a really good player he is. We all knew by watching him in the IPL that he’s really skilled but what’s been really good to see is the temperament he’s shown in the T20I series. The game awareness, the calmness that he’s shown under pressure so that’s something that’s been very refreshing to see for me also on the television and I just spoke to him about that as well. Yes, even in the ODI format as well, he’s performed really well across formats in first-class cricket. Yes, he will get his opportunity even in the ODI series,” he added.

Meanwhile, India will be eager to start the series with a win and take a 1-0 lead. The Men in Blue will look to put up an improved show in South Africa this time around having lost the previous series in the nation by 0-3 in 2022.