NEW DELHI: All eyes will be on Sanju Samson when India take on New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, with the batsman under increasing pressure to deliver. Enduring a lean run and facing increasing scrutiny, Samson will be hoping a passionate home support can help him rediscover form at a crucial stage of the series.The right-hander endured a difficult campaign against New Zealand, managing only 40 runs in four matches so far. With Samson part of India’s wider plans for the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup, his performances have drawn criticism from fans and pundits alike, with some even questioning his place in the World Cup set-up.
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Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan came out in support of Samson, insisting that the batter deserves consistency in the order. Pathan felt that Samson’s earlier move to the middle order was unfair and stressed that he should be given a longer rope to find his rhythm.While Pathan believes Samson should be supported, he also acknowledged that the team management’s decision to turn to Ishan Kishan would be understandable if runs continued to dry up.“Personally, I would like to see Sanju Samson run and get the position he has been in for a long time because what happened was not fair to him, right? If Samson doesn’t score and the team management replaces him with Ishan Kishan, you can understand the decision,” Irfan Pathan told RevSportz.Pathan also emphasized the importance of having players like Tilak Varma in the squad and praised the youngster’s temperament and ability to handle pressure situations. According to the former cricketer, Tilak adds balance and reliability to the batting unit while praising the way he has developed his game.Tilak was ruled out of the New Zealand series due to injury but is expected to recover in time for the World Cup, a boost for India as they look to fine-tune their combinations.“I think that approach is really good, but I really think guys like Tilak Varma are very important in this team. Because when the pressure is there, or when the ball starts to tighten, he comes into play because he plays percentage cricket. Everyone plays aggressively in this team, which is fantastic, but you need players like Tilak Varma,” Pathan added.For Samson, Saturday’s contest offers a timely opportunity to silence critics and cement his place in India’s plans.
