Team India opener Sanju Samson needs to play with a clear mind in the 2nd T20 vs West Indies in Ranchi on Friday, feels former India cricketer.
Published: October 8, 2026, 5:12 PM IST
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Sanju Samson was dismissed for only 11 in 1st T20I vs West Indies(Photo: IANS)
India vs West Indies 2026 2nd T20: Team India opener Sanju Samson’s batting form has swung between brilliant to ordinary throughout this year in T20I cricketSamson won the ‘Player of the Series’ award in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 in March this year with knocks of 89, 96 not out and 89 in last three innings, including the final.
But since then, Samson has only managed to score 179 runs in 11 innings at an average of 16.27 with six single figure scoresApart from his back-to-back fifties against Afghanistan, Samson has largely struggled in T20I cricket and pressure to bring back Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing 11 is already mounting.
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IND vs WI 2026 2nd T20: Pressure builds on Sanju Samson as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bides his time
The Chennai Super Kings and Team India wicketkeeper was dismissed for 11 in the 1st T20 vs West Indies in Lucknow on WednesdayFormer India batter Cheteshwar Pujara speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan’ hoped that Samson is not ‘feeling under pressure’ ahead of 2nd T20I vs West Indies in Ranchi on Friday.
“I hope that there is no pressure on him, because there shouldn’t beHe has won a World Cup for the Indian team and performed exceptionally well thereHe’s a quality playerSo there shouldn’t be any questions around him being part of the playing XIYes, you might have one or two bad games, and then if he has that, that’s the time when the team management has to step in, give him the right message that, ‘You are an important part of this team and will be part of this playing XI, so just go out there, express yourself, play your natural game’,” Pujara told JioHotstar.
CHETESHWAR PUJARA ON SANJU SAMSON AHEAD OF 2NT T20I VS WI:
“I hope that there is no pressure on him because there shouldn’t beHe has won a World Cup for the Indian teamHe has performed exceptionally well in the World Cup, and he is a quality playerSo there shouldn’t be any questions around him being part of the playing11.”
— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) October 8, 2026
Sooryavanshi was once again consigned to the bench after coming back from Asian Games 2026 with Naman Dhir making his T20I debut“In a T20 format, there’ll be some failures in betweenBut that’s the time when you talk to a player, give him the right messageYes, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is there, he will get his opportunity when the right time comes, but you don’t make too many changesIf Sanju plays another two or three innings, I’m sure he will perform exceptionally well,” Pujara felt.
Shreyas Iyer’s century came at the right time: Cheteshwar Pujara
The hero of the eight-wicket win in the 1st T20 in Lucknow was Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer, who scored his maiden T20I century off 42 ballsPujara believes that Iyer’s century came at the right time for the Indian captain.
“It came at the right time because he was looking for that formThere were not any questions regarding his batting because, when it comes to the T20 format, I think Shreyas is an exceptional cricketer, so there is no doubt about his qualityBut the kind of flow he was in during the innings at Lucknow, the moment he walked in, he was timing the ball and was clearing the infield during the powerplay well.
“Once he got set, he started playing big shots and hitting big sixesSo, he was in complete controlHe knew which bowler he had to targetSo yes, this innings came at the right time because he needed this knockWhen you are leading the team, you lead by example, and this is the example you want to set in front of the young players,” Pujara said.
On Naman Dhir’s performance with the ball on debut in Lucknow, Pujara said, “It was good to see that he was using his cricketing intelligenceHe picked up three wickets, but before that he got hit for a six, so he was trying to change his lineHe was trying to change his length and was varying his pace really wellSo, yes, you’re a part-timer, but you can’t bowl just the usual stuffYou have to be a little bit more than that and Naman Dhir showed that he’s a quality bowler.”
