'Has never been consistent' - Irfan Pathan's blunt take on Sanju Samson ahead of New Zealand T20Is

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan did not mince words while speaking on Sanju Samson's batting inconsistency ahead of India's 20-over series against New Zealand. The five-match T20I series against the Kiwis is scheduled to commence on January 21 in Nagpur.

Irfan agreed on Samson being a high-impact power-hitter when batting in full flow. However, he said that the top-order batter is unable to sustain his form over longer intervals of time. He also did not feel as if Samson will be able to rectify the issue in the immediate future.

"Inconsistencies will be there, and a lot will depend on what the team management think about that, and how much patience the fans and pundits have. All of this has an impact on the player as well. Sanju Samson has never been a consistent player. He has been explosive. He will suddenly score a hundred and then the runs will not come, he has been that type of a player. Will all of that change now? I don't think so," shared Irfan in a video on his YouTube channel.

Irfan also commented on Jasprit Bumrah's situation and his spot in the XI. He urged the management to play Bumrah for all the five matches of the series and not preserve him on the grounds of managing workload.

"Now there should be no talk of pick and choose or rest. I want to see Jasprit Bumrah in top form going into the World Cup. Every bowler takes a while to hit their level after coming in from a break. It should not happen that he is playing 1-2 games, and then sitting out the next, I don't want to see that happen. He should play all five matches," he added.

India were recently defeated by New Zealand by a 1-2 margin in the ODIs. The Men in Blue will aim to settlie the score in the 20-over leg of the white-ball series. They will then be co-hosting the T20 World Cup across February and March, heading into the event as defending champions.