How Long Will The 'Talented' Tag Keep Saving Sanju Samson?

Sanju Samson has failed to perform consistently [Source: @SanjuSamson_Era/x.com]

“Talent is nothing without consistency.”

It is a quote we have heard in every walk of life but nowhere does it hit harder than in cricket. And when you look at Sanju Samson, it almost feels like the line was written just for him.

A picture-perfect cover drive, lightning-quick glove work, elegance with the bat and yet, after 13 seasons in the IPL, we are still talking about potential. Still calling him ‘talented’.

So, the real question is: how long will this “talented” tag keep saving Sanju Samson?

The Frustrating Pattern That Never Ends

Every season begins the same way. Samson walks out, plays a blinder in the first couple of games, makes you believe that this could be the year. And then, slowly but surely, he fades away. And just like that, another season goes by with fans saying,

“He looks so good when he gets going... but he needs to be more consistent.”

Here’s a breakdown of Sanju Samson’s IPL career to show how the script has barely changed over the years:

Peaks Too Few, Patches Too Long

Across 13 seasons and 168 innings, Sanju averages 31.0 with a strike rate of 139.0. In T20s, those numbers are decent. Not bad, not game-changing either.

The reality? Only in 2 seasons (2021 and 2024) has he averaged over 40. That is 2 out of 13. For a player who has been around this long, batted in the top 4 almost his entire career, led his franchise for years and is often pitched as a national team regular, those numbers should raise eyebrows.

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Hot Start, Cold Follow-Up: The Never-Ending Loop

In the current IPL 2025 season, he started with a bang by scoring 66 off 37 against SRH. Since then? 127 runs in 5 innings. No fifties. No match-winning contributions.

And it is not just this season, it has become his trademark pattern.

Let’s dig deeper. In 2024, he had his best season yet: 531 runs at 48.3 avg and 153.5 SR. He even kept things steady through the campaign. But the exception doesn’t make the rule.

In most other seasons, the pattern is painfully clear: two or three blistering knocks, followed by a string of low scores.

And it is not like he is batting at 6 and finishing games. He has been trusted with top-order responsibility but the match-winning consistency just hasn’t come.

Not Just A Batter, But A Captain Too

More importantly, Samson is also the captain of Rajasthan Royals. He is not just there to score runs but to lead by example. And when your best batter goes missing time and again, the team feels it. His calmness is great but IPL leadership also needs fire, fight, and finishes which have been in short supply.

What More Does He Need?

Samson has had stability. A fixed batting position. Captaincy. Backing from franchise and fans alike. And still, there is no season where he has owned the orange cap race or taken Royals to the title with his bat.

By now, we should be talking about Sanju Samson in the same breath as KL Rahul or Ruturaj Gaikwad or Shreyas Iyer, but we are still waiting for the full season from him.

Time To Shake Off The Tag

That ‘most talented batter in India’ tag is slowly becoming his burden. It protected him when he was 22. It was a compliment at 25. But at 30 years old, with 4600+ runs, it is starting to sound like an excuse.

Fans are no longer satisfied with watching a great knock once in a while. They want match-winning efforts. Big-game contributions. Full-season reliability.

Conclusion

Sanju Samson is a joy to watch. He is gifted, graceful and explosive. But it’s time he becomes more than that. Because cricket doesn’t reward potential, it rewards performance.

And if he doesn’t crack the consistency code now, the next generation guys like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag won’t wait around. They will take his spot in the conversation and maybe even the Indian dressing room.

So the question is: how long will the ‘talented’ tag keep saving Sanju Samson?

The answer: NOT MUCH LONGER!

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