Dinesh Karthik Backs Sanju Samson Amidst Form Slump and Sooryavanshi Calls

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has thrown his support behind Sanju Samson despite the opener's poor run of form, insisting the experienced batter deserves more backing even as calls for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continue to grow. Samson's struggles continued in the opening T20I against England at Chester-le-Street, where he fell cheaply after India opted to bat first. It was his third successive low score, having also endured a disappointing series against Ireland, prompting fresh debate over whether Sooryavanshi should be handed an opportunity. However, Karthik believes it would be premature to make a change. "Sanju Samson has, once again, had a bit of a failure. Three innings on the bounce means the calls are coming nice and loud for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but I still hope they back someone like Sanju Samson, because, under pressure, in the T20 World Cup, a few months ago, he got the job done, so we have to back him," Karthik said on Cricbuzz. He also urged patience with the highly-rated youngster. "Vaibhav needs to earn the right to play in this XI even though he is extremely talented, and I have no doubt he is going to do very well in international cricket," he added. Karthik also reflected on India's surprising decision to bat first despite overcast conditions and the constant threat of rain, suggesting the team's recent 0-2 series defeat in Ireland played a significant role in that call. "India, choosing to bat, was a good decision, even though, obviously, there was a bit of weather around the corner constantly… The general tendency is to chase down totals," he said. "It was a bit off and awkward evening here because rain was always looming around the corner, but I do think the Ireland hangover was there a bit. So, India decided, 'let's not chase and bat first'." India's decision initially appeared to backfire as they slumped to 6 for 2 inside the first two overs after Samson and Ishan Kishan were dismissed early. However, captain Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma rescued the innings with contrasting half-centuries, guiding India to a competitive 189 for 7 before persistent rain washed out England's chase. Karthik reserved special praise for Iyer, who was under pressure after managing just 13 runs in two matches during the Ireland series. The skipper responded with a composed 68 off 47 balls to lead India's recovery. "He wanted to get rid of the pressure, so he batted nicely," Karthik observed. "He must have been under pressure, because as a leader, you need to walk the talk with the bat first, and he knew that. The skipper needed to put his hand up and say, 'I am the skipper, I will get the runs', and he did it quite nicely." While Iyer answered his critics, Samson's lean patch remains a concern heading into the second T20I at Old Trafford. With Sooryavanshi waiting in the wings, the pressure on the opener is only increasing, but Karthik believes the team management should continue to show faith in the experienced batter rather than make a hasty change.