Why Sanju is back in my life…

Mumbai

Someone sent me a video of AB de Villiers’s son punching his hand on a chair in disappointment after his father was dismissed without doing those AB-like things against Mumbai Indians. That clip reminds me so much of myself.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I damaged my hand punching every piece of furniture around after seeing Sanju Samson fail himself, you and me. If you see my fingers bruised, be certain that Sanju, for me a natural heir to Rohit Sharma, has perished to some casual waft here and there. We love Sanju. Will he ever love us back?

After his lackadaisical series in Sri Lanka, I resolved I wouldn’t be harsh on my fingers anymore. In my mind, Sanju and I had parted ways. But this man keeps returning to my life. I thought his undefeated 70 against Delhi Capitals was a one-off. Now, how do I not extend welcoming arms (and fingers) to him after yesterday’s 57-ball 82 against Sunrisers Hyderabad?

The match-winners India don’t have

Who’s been the most effective medium-pacer in this IPL? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Harshal Patel. I’m not saying this on the basis of his hat-trick against Mumbai Indians. We’ve been watching him for quite sometime now. He second-guesses batsmen’s motives, stymies them with his cunning and variations and is certainly living in their heads rent-free.

Now tell me which spinner has charmed you the most in the IPL? Sly, impish and terribly talented, I quite like Punjab Kings’s Ravi Bishnoi, the Indian version of Rashid Khan. They can’t pick his quicker googlies.

It’s puzzling that India don’t have either of the two in the T20 World Cup.