Former Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Tirumalasetti Suman questioned Sanju Samson’s performance after the first T20I against Afghanistan. Chasing 157 runs for the win, Samson was dismissed cheaply after scoring 10 runs off eight deliveries, after he was picked ahead of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the final XI.
The Indian opener holed out to a deep square-leg fielder while playing the pull shot but could not get the distance. Samson returned to the squad after he was dropped in the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, Samson only played two out of the five T20Is against England. Earlier, Samson had scored 321 runs in five matches of the T20 World Cup at a strike rate of almost 200. Suman highlighted that barring scoring three fifties in the T20I showpiece, Samson has struggled to deliver consistent performances.
“This player handled the pressure of winning the World Cup very well. But can he handle the pressure of protecting his place? India won the first T20I against Afghanistan comfortably, thanks to Abhishek Sharma’s fantastic knock. But now, we’re talking about his partner, Sanju Samson. He handled the pressure of winning the World Cup very well. He performed well in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals as well. In fact, he was the player of the tournament as well. But there are some shocking numbers about this same Samson. From 2025 to now, if we put aside the last three matches of the World Cup, he averages only 15 in 23 matches with one fifty. It is really shocking,” Suman said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“We all know that Samson is an extraordinary talent. But his problem is consistency. We all know that Vaibhav is waiting behind him. Eventually, time is running out. While big-match performance is important, a player should be consistent. His runs and his present form are equally important. With Vaibhav waiting in the wings, every knock that Samson plays, the pressure will keep increasing on him. He handled the pressure of winning the World Cup really well, but can he handle the pressure of saving his place now?” he added.
The second T20I between India and Afghanistan will be played on Tuesday in Delhi.
