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Sanju Samson‘s recent performances have come under scrutiny as he once again failed to deliver with the bat in the third and final T20I between India and Sri Lanka, held in Pallekele on Tuesday (July 30).
Sanju Samson’s second duck in the T20I series
Sanju was dismissed for a four-ball duck, caught by Wanindu Hasaranga at deep point off the bowling of Chamindu Wickremasinghe. This dismissal followed a golden duck in the second T20I, marking a disappointing series for Samson, who failed to score in both outings against Sri Lanka. His repeated failures have cast doubt over his future participation in India’s national team, especially with the ODI series against Sri Lanka commencing on August 2 in Colombo, from which Samson has already been excluded.
The flood of memes hits social media
Samson’s dismissal on the penultimate delivery of the third over sparked a wave of reactions on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Fans expressed their frustrations through tweets and memes, with some predicting that this could be Samson’s last appearance in Indian colors, while others mocked his inconsistency. The growing disappointment among fans highlights the pressure on Samson to perform consistently at the international level.
Here’s how Fans reacted:
Life of Sanju Samson
— Sagar (@sagarcasm)
Well done Sanju Samson 👏👏
Enjoy💝ed your every moment in international cricket
— Chinmay Shah (@chinmayshah28)
Justice for Sanju Samson
— Ankit Pathak 🇮🇳 (@ankit_acerbic)
Huge improvement from Sanju Samson after getting out on Golden Duck in last ma🧜tch,
Today he played 3ꦑ more balls and then gone for Duck��🔥൩
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy)
Sanju Samson
— Raja Babu (@GaurangBhardwa1)
Sanju Samson is the most overrated cricketer I've seen so far. From watching him bat for the first time at the IPL 2014 to till date he remains the same 'flat track bully'. His career began with IPL and is going to end with IPL.
— Cric Bug (@Smithian_here)
Sanju Samson – The guy who never utilised his talent 🥲👍
— Chinmay Shah (@chinmayshah28)
If Rajat had a PR like Sanju Samson.
— Sohel . (@SohelVkf)
Just for Sanju Samson fans 🙏
— Div🦁 (@div_yumm)
If wasting opportunity was an Olympic sport…
Sanju Samson :
— UmdarTamker (@UmdarTamker)
Sanju Samson ki Ind🦋꧒ian cricket team me performance. 🤌🏼😭🤣
— Byomkesh (@byomkesbakshy)
Sanju Samson😭
— Pulkit🇮🇳 (@pulkit5Dx)
Also READ: New captain to lead as Sri Lanka announces 16-m🔯ember ODI squad for India series
Sri Lanka’s strong start
Meanwhile in the match, opting to bowl first, Sri Lanka had an impressive start to the game. Ace spinner Maheesh Theekshana set the tone by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for ten runs. Following Samson’s departure for a duck, the Indian innings faced further setbacks as Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed for one and eight runs, respectively. These early wickets put India in a precarious position, showcasing Sri Lanka’s dominance in the initial stages of the match.
India’s innings falters
After India lost their fourth wicket at 30 runs in the 6th over, the situation became increasingly difficult. Shivam Dube‘s tenure was cut short at 13 runs, leaving India at 48/5. Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag then formed a crucial partnership, but Gill’s dismissal for 39 left India at 102/6. Parag’s quick 26 provided some relief, but he was out just as the innings began to accelerate. Washington Sundar‘s 25 and Ravi Bishnoi’s unbeaten 8 helped India reach 137/9 in their 20 overs. Despite a late push, India struggled to set a commanding total, finishing with a modest s💧core.
