Sanju Samson returned to India’s opening slot in the T20I series against Afghanistan. After a disappointing outing in the first T20I, he bounced back strongly in the second on September 15, 2026, scoring 57 off 22 balls as the team won by seven wickets while chasing 160 in 14.5 overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The victory clinched the three-match T20I series 2-0 for India. Samson’s performance came after he had been dropped in favour of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Incidentally, Samson was left out of the squad, and Sooryavanshi played brilliantly in India’s preceding T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Sooryavanshi scored 151 runs across three innings with scores of 50 and 81, and was named Player of the Series. Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament when India won the T20 World Cup in March 2026, had managed only 5, 0 and 1 across tours of Ireland and England before his recent return.
Speaking after his match-winning knock against Afghanistan, Samson acknowledged the complexity of managing multiple contenders for limited spots.
Samson drew on his experience managing an IPL franchise to explain the difficulty faced by the selection committee. The batter has navigated multiple phases of his international career and has developed a perspective on how to handle competition within a squad. He emphasised that his approach centres on focusing on controllable factors rather than dwelling on selection outcomes.
“Yeah, it’s a very challenging place to be in, I think, right from the whole team management and everyone, right from the captain, coach and selectors. It’s a very tough choice, actually. All of them are really good, all of them are performing, and all of them have to be given the right opportunity to keep performing at the international level,” Samson said while speaking to reporters after the match.
“So it’s a very tough decision. I totally understand. I lead an IPL franchise, so I know how hard these decisions are, and everyone has been performing really well. I have been in this kind of space for quite a few years, so I just know how to balance it out. Just think about what is in my control and try to be very positive with your competitors as well,” he added.
How does Samson view the selection challenge?
The India batter stressed that internal competition must be viewed through the lens of collective team success rather than individual disappointment. His perspective reflects the mindset required to thrive in a squad where multiple players compete for the same position.
“I think they are competitors for the outside world, but we are a team, and we are playing for a country. We want to win the game first, and then it comes down to the other individuals.” Samson said.
What is his approach to squad competition?
Samson elaborated on the importance of maintaining a positive environment within the squad, regardless of whether a player is selected or left out. He stressed that sulking or harbouring resentment undermines team cohesion and individual performance.
“We try to be as positive as possible, and whoever is playing, we want them to do well. We just have to be ready for our own opportunity. We can’t sulk or be in a negative frame of mind, thinking, Yaar, mujhe nahi mila, usko kyun diya. Those kinds of mindsets don’t work here. So we try to be positive and contribute in any other manner, whoever is playing. Yeah, it has been working really well,” Samson said.
The third T20I between India and Afghanistan is scheduled for September 17, 2026, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
