The false starts kept increasing in number, threatening to put him out of reckoning. But then came the stroke of luck that Sanju Samson really needed.

Selected as a reserve in India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, the keeper-batsman has got some sort of a lifeline. However, he needs to make optimum use of whatever opportunities come his way from here on.

First up is Wednesday’s third and final T20I against Ireland at Malahide in Dublin. If he retains his place in the XI, Samson must ensure he plays a meaningful knock, an innings which will help him make a statement, even if he doesn’t get many overs to bat.

Samson himself is largely responsible for the current situation he finds himself in. He certainly had his share of chances in the white-ball leg of the recent West Indies tour to produce impactful knocks and strengthen his case. But barring one breezy 51 in the final ODI, Samson couldn’t come up with any other performance of note.

In the Windies T20Is, poor shot selection, his perennial problem, led to his undoing in two of the three innings he got to bat in that series.

Even in the second T20I against Ireland on Sunday, he got out to an innocuous delivery even though he had settled at the crease. Such carelessness on the eve of the Asia Cup selection!

“Given Samson’s ability, all that he needs to do is show better application. That could solve a lot of his problems. You just can’t keep on getting starts and throw your wicket away,” former India keeper-batsman Nayan Mongia told The Telegraph on Tuesday.

“He’s one of the cleanest hitters of the ball, which is one big advantage. The pitches in the West Indies weren’t too easy for strokeplay and he’s someone who likes the ball to come on to the bat. But you’ve got to make the necessary adjustments and perform in order to cement your place in the side.

“The current Indian middle order is jam-packed at present, which means there will be limited opportunities for Samson. The onus thus is on him to grab those opportunities and make them count,” Mongia, who represented India in 44 Tests and 140 ODIs, emphasised.

Rajasthan Royals, the IPL franchise Samson captains, has a lot of faith in the 28-year-old for his “unselfish” attitude. “He’s much more concerned about the team than his individual scores. That’s why you see such an approach in his batting,” a member of the Royals’ support staff had said after last year’s IPL.

International cricket and IPL are not the same. That’s what Samson has to realise. One may get away with certain things in the IPL, but international cricket is much more ruthless.