Sanju Samson’s place in India’s playing XI could come under more pressure when India face Afghanistan in the second T20I in Delhi on Tuesday.
With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the squad and in good form, Samson needs runs to stay at the top of the order.
Samson scored only 10 runs in the first T20I before being dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai.
He has now managed just 33 runs in his last four T20I innings, which makes his position an obvious talking point ahead of the second game.
Vaibhav has given India another option. The young batter has been in excellent form and has already made an impact in T20 cricket.
If Sanju Samson fails again, the pressure to give Vaibhav an opportunity will only increase.
Shreyas Iyer will also have to keep India’s Asian Games plans in mind while deciding the opening combination.
The other concern for India is the fifth bowling option. Hardik Pandya’s absence has left India without a genuine all rounder who can regularly bowl four overs.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube are the two options, but expecting either player to complete four overs against a strong batting side could be risky.
India’s four specialist bowlers did most of the work in the first T20I, with Arshdeep Singh taking three wickets and Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy also doing their jobs.
However, the fifth bowler issue could become more important against a better opposition.
India are one win away from taking the series, but the bigger selection question remains at the top. Will Samson get another chance, or will India finally turn to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?
