IND vs AFG 2nd T20I: Sanju Samson opened up about the difficult selection call involving teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after India’s seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the second T20I in Delhi. Samson admitted he had not performed in two-three games while Vaibhav was in form, but said clear communication with the team management helped him handle the situation.
Sanju Samson answered the pressure surrounding his place in India’s T20I side in emphatic fashion, smashing 57 off just 22 balls as India chased down Afghanistan’s 159/8 in only 14.5 overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
The knock came after Samson scored only 10 runs in the first T20I. He had also been left out of India’s recent Zimbabwe T20I series, where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi impressed with his batting, adding further competition for places in the top order.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Samson acknowledged why the teenager was given an opportunity despite his own previous success.
“You see a 15-year-old boy who has come after scoring 700-800 runs. My tournament was before that. After that, he performed so well, and he had to come in in some or the other manner,” Samson said.
He also accepted that his own lack of runs made the selection decision understandable.
“I didn’t perform in 2-3 games and he was in form, and we wanted to win games in that series. It was very understandable from a leadership kind of a thing,” he added.
Samson said his experience of leading an IPL franchise has helped him understand the difficult decisions faced by the Indian team management. He also credited head coach Gautam Gambhir for maintaining communication with him during the period.
“GG bhai’s communication was very important. Even during the England series there was a lot of communication, and before this series too he came and spoke to me a lot,” Samson said.
Sanju Samson On Outside Noise
Samson also opened up about dealing with the outside noise that comes with playing for India. In a light-hearted moment, he said he tries to switch off his “Wi-Fi”, although he admitted that it sometimes gets turned back on and he ends up seeing comments.
The wicketkeeper-batter stressed that such criticism does affect players and admitted that he is not a machine or a robot who can simply ignore everything.
“Definitely farak padta hai. You kind of get a bit affected, but then you try to talk to yourself and tell that what you are and what you need to do,” Samson said.
He added that focusing too much on criticism would prevent him from playing the fearless cricket demanded by the team.
“If I am thinking about those things, I can’t bat in this way.” Samson said, explaining that he would otherwise start thinking about the consequences of getting out before playing an attacking shot.
Samson Responds With 57 Off 22
Despite the pressure, Samson produced a stunning performance in the second T20I. He struck seven fours and four sixes at a remarkable strike rate of 259.09, forming an explosive opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma.
India raced to 82/0 in the powerplay, with Abhishek scoring 39 off 19 balls. Rashid Khan eventually dismissed both openers in the same over, but the damage had already been done.
Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 38 and Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 15 completed another comprehensive chase for India.
The victory gave India a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, while Samson’s return to form has once again intensified the competition for places in India’s top order.
