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Sanju Samson finally answered all the critics with a stunning half-century in the second T20I as India won the game by seven wickets to seal the ongoing three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Tuesday, September 15, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter smashed 57 runs from just 22 balls, hitting seven boundaries and four sixes, and played a key role in the team’s easy win over Afghanistan in the second T20I.
Samson added 88 runs for the opening wicket with Abhishek Sharma. The young left-hander scored 39 from 19 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes as India chased a 160-run target inside 15 overs. Earlier, Mohammad Kaif wants Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in same XI.
Aakash Chopra highlights huge pressure on Sanju Samson
After the Men in Blue took a 2-0 lead in the Afghanistan series, former India opener Aakash Chopra has pointed out how much pressure Sanju Samson was carrying before the second T20I in Delhi.
With his place under discussion and young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pushing for opportunities, Samson needed a strong performance, and he delivered it in style.
Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel, "If you had seen the match and listened to the mid-match conversation, everything was pointing in one direction—that there was pressure on Sanju. Sometimes you feel that it's slightly wrong. Why should the pressure be there if you played three consecutive good knocks in the World Cup quarterfinal, semi-final, and final?”
"The sword was hanging over his head": Aakash Chopra on Sanju Samson being under pressure
Chopra felt Samson had been facing unnecessary pressure after being left out of India’s squad for the Zimbabwe tour. His place became even more uncertain as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to score heavily and made a strong case for himself.
He added, “The pressure was there because two innings had gone bad in Ireland, and one-and-a-half innings had gone bad in England. One was in the washed-out match. So, it shouldn't be counted, but he was dropped after that. He wasn't sent to Zimbabwe. Vaibhav Soouryavanshi kept scoring runs in his absence, and the sword was hanging over his (Samson's) head.”
Aakash Chopra backs Sanju Samson amid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi buzz
Samson had also gone through a difficult period before the Afghanistan series. The Kerala star failed to make a big impact on the Ireland and England tours.
So, Chopra hailed the team management for giving Samson the opportunity ahead of Sooryavanshi in the first two T20Is against Afghanistan. Amid this, Sanju Samson breaks silence on competition with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Chopra explained, “The good thing is that he was finally played here. There is no doubt that the future will be extremely bright. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the kind of player who will light up the future. All of us expect that and have a lot of confidence as well, but why are you compromising the present in the desire for a bright future? We were doing that with Sanju Samson.”
Aakash Chopra warns against frequent changes as India’s T20 batters keep attacking
Suryavanshi is one of the brightest young batters in Indian cricket, but Chopra highlighted that India already has several batters who can change a T20 match within a few overs.
He pointed out that Samson, Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan all have a similar attacking approach. The cricket pandit also noted that modern T20 cricket is built around taking risks, so players can go through a few low scores.
Chopra stressed that frequent changes after every failure can make it difficult for a batter to play freely. He added, “India's modern-day T20 batters are unbelievable. They don't stop. Everyone's template is the same. Everyone keeps hitting.”
