Sanju Samson undergoes surgery on broken finger: Details here
What's the story
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson recently underwent surgery for a finger injury that he sustained during the 5th T20I against England at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium earlier this month.
Samson was struck on the index finger by a fast delivery from English bowler Jofra Archer, which caused bleeding.
Although he was treated on the field, he continued batting but was dismissed in the next over, and did not feature in the second innings.
Match withdrawal
Samson's injury forces him out of final T20I
As mentioned, after his dismissal, Samson didn't return to the field for the rest of the match. Dhruv Jurel donned the gloves in the second innings.
Meanwhile, this incident has sparked concerns over Samson's fitness ahead of IPL 2025, where he will captain Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The franchise posted a post-surgery picture of their skipper on Instagram, wishing him a speedy recovery with the caption: "Get well soon, skipper #RoyalsFamily."
Technical analysis
Rayudu analyzes Samson's struggle against short-pitched bowling
Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu has given his take on Samson's struggles against short-pitched bowling in the recently concluded T20I series against England.
On Star Sports, Rayudu said it wasn't a mindset issue but a technical flaw.
He said, "When you make room and your back leg goes towards the leg stump, your arms don't open up when you try to play the pull."
Continued struggle
Samson's struggles against short balls in England T20Is
Samson had a dismal performance in the England T20I series, as he was dismissed four times to short-pitched deliveries, exposing a possible chink in his batting armor.
In the fourth T20I of the India versus England series, Saqib Mahmood sent Samson packing with a bouncer in his first match of this series.
Meanwhile, Archer had trapped Samson thrice in a row with a short ball into the body in the first three matches.
Information
Samson's struggles against short balls
Of the 18 times Samson has been caught off seamers in T20 Internationals, the short ball has accounted for nine, as per ESPNcricinfo. In fact, of the 36 balls that the opener tackled in the England series, 23 were short, as per Cricbuzz. Meanwhile, 11 of Samson's 13 T20I dismissals in Powerplay have come against pacers.
ODI cricket
Samson not part of India's ODI setup
Notably, Samson could not make the cut for three ODIs against England and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
His next possible chance could be a white-ball series in Bangladesh later this year.
Before his injury, he had missed a preparatory camp and didn't play any Vijay Hazare Trophy games, which saw him being ignored for the Champions Trophy selection.