'Have you witnessed the brilliance of Sanju Samson yet?': Ricky Ponting questions Nasser Hussain as Rohit Sharma clinches 'favourite player' award

Rohit has been a driving force behind India's recent triumphs. Under his leadership, India reached the final of the 2023 World Cup, ultimately securing an ICC title by capturing the T20 World Cup earlier this year after an 11-year wait. While the recent defeat in the home Test series against New Zealand may be disappointing, and questions may arise about his current form after a series of poor performances in the last eight innings, it is important to recognize the ongoing value he brings to the team. Rohit remains a crucial asset for India, and his contributions should not be overshadowed by recent setbacks.

"I would say I like Rohit Sharma. I have to be honest. I just think back, and it's so hard; such a difficult task but Rohit makes it look so easy. Batting, I always felt rushed when you're facing any bowler. You feel like you're out of time. Rohit seems to have so much time to play a shot; the pull that he plays," Hussain said.

While Hussain's answer was limited to Rohit, Ponting listed many names that he finds exciting. One of them was Samson, an enigma in Indian cricket. Despite being amply talented, the number of chances Samson gets always leaves a lot to be desired. He was part of India's T20 World Cup squad but didn't get a game. However, when he did – such as in the T20I against Bangladesh, Samson roared to form with a breathtaking T20I century. So while the likes of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are all exciting batters for Ponting to consume, Samson's mention took the cake.

"Yeah, I was thinking about Rohit Sharma. In fact, you can nearly mention the whole Indian batting line-up. Let's start with Rohit; then there's Shubman Gill. I like watching him play. Think about Rishabh Pant, and you've got somebody like Virat somewhere in the middle of that. I'm not sure how much you've seen of a guy called Sanju Samson in T20 cricket. He's a lovely player to watch when he's up and about and going as well," said Ponting, a four-time World Cup winner for Australia.