Kumar Sangakkara advises Sanju Samson to keep things simple ahead of Sri Lanka series

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has advised Sanju Samson to keep things simple ahead of India's upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the Sri Lanka series on Tuesday (December 27) with some big changes to both T20I and ODI teams.

Samson has been selected for the T20I squad but couldn't find a place in the ODI set-up once again despite playing some impressive knocks in 50-over cricket of late. He scored an unbeaten 86 against South Africa in Lucknow during the three-match ODI series before the T20 World Cup.

Samson, 28, featured in the first ODI against New Zealand in November but was ignored for the Bangladesh tour and is now missing from the ODI team for the Sri Lanka series. Samson's last T20I appearance came in August 2022 against the West Indies despite his impressive numbers in T20I cricket.

However, Sangakkara, who is the director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, wants Samson to be relaxed in terms of his approach while batting against Sri Lanka in the upcoming series.

“He’s got to keep things simple, just concentrate on batting. The IPL is one thing, playing for India is another. When you go out, make sure you’re relaxed, you have the clarity about how you’re going to play your role,” Sangakkara said while speaking on Star Sports.

Samson made his international debut in 2015 but has only played 11 ODIs and 16 T20Is so far. He has never been given a consistent run in international cricket and is frequently seen warming the bench. Samson approaches the Sri Lanka series after excellent performances in the recent domestic matches and Sangakkara feels that the player should not be focusing on proving his mettle and instead should enjoy himself.

“The one thing he shouldn’t do is think that this is his final chance to prove his mettle and try and be desperate to succeed. He’s got every single thing going for him. He’s a wonderful young man, he’s got skills and temperament. Let it settle, don’t fight it, make sure you’re adjusting to what comes at you on the day. And then, go out there and enjoy the way he plays,” added Sangakkara.