Sanju Samson produced a match-winning performance in India’s second T20I against Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The wicketkeeper-batter struck 57 runs from just 22 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 259.09. India chased down Afghanistan’s total of 160 in 14.5 overs to secure a seven-wicket victory and seal the three-match series 2-0.
Samson’s explosive knock came after a difficult start to the series. In the first T20I, he had managed only 10 runs. Earlier this year, during matches against Ireland and England, Samson had accumulated 33 runs across four innings. His form had prompted selectors to drop him from the XI in favour of young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
After Samson’s heroics in the second T20I, former India pacer Mohit Sharma opined that people judge the wicketkeeper-batter too quickly.
“Sanju batted brilliantly. I often feel that we are a little hasty in judging him. The way he batted has probably put an end to the debate,” Sharma said on Cricbuzz.
Kaif highlights Samson’s consistency challenge
Former India batter Mohammed Kaif also weighed in on Samson’s situation, acknowledging both his exceptional skill and the consistency issues that have defined his career. Kaif noted that Samson’s problem lay not in his ability but in maintaining form across multiple innings. He highlighted Samson’s dominance against spin bowling, particularly against world-class spinners like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, as an area where few batters could match his prowess.
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“The biggest thing that came out of all this is Sanju Samson scoring runs, because we have given him opportunities. Why do we keep talking about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? That’s because Sanju Samson has been dismissed without even scoring 10 runs, many times. He has been out for 0, 2, 5 or 6 runs, and his form after the World Cup has not been that good,” Kaif said.
“Everyone knows the kind of potential and skill Samson has, and there is no better player against spin than him. He knows how to hit Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi for sixes, everyone knows about his dominance against spin. I think his problem is scoring consistently. If he does that, no harm will ever come to him. No one will ever raise a question again. Vaibhav Suryavanshi is a great talent, but he will remain benched. The 3-4 poor knocks that follow after a big score like a 100, that is where Samson needs to work on. So, I think today’s innings will relieve some pressure,” he added.
