Former wicketkeeper in India Dinesh Karthik withdrew his support Sanju Samson Despite his poor rookie form, it is insisted that the experienced batsman deserves more support 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 consecutive low score, having also endured a disappointing series against Ireland, sparking fresh debate over whether Sooryavanshi should be given a chance. However, Karthik feels that it would be premature to make a change.“Sanju Samson has had a bit of a setback yet again. Three innings on the bounce means the calls are coming in nice and loud for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but I still hope he backs someone like Sanju Samson because he did the job under pressure in the T20 World Cup a few months ago, so we have to back him,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.He also called for 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 that he will do very well in international cricket,” he added.Karthik also reflected on India’s surprising decision to bat first despite cloudy conditions and the constant threat of rain, suggesting that the team’s recent 0-2 series defeat in Ireland played a significant role in the call.“India electing to bat was a good decision, although, obviously, there was always a bit of time around the corner… The general tendency is to chase the total,” he said.“The evening was a little bit uncomfortable here because the rain was always looming around the corner, but I think the Irish hangover was there a little bit. So India decided ‘let’s not chase and bat first’.”India’s resolve seemed to crumble at first as they slumped to 6 for 2 in the first two overs after Samson and Ishan Kishan they were dismissed early. However, Captain Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma rescued the innings with a contrasting half-century, guiding India to a competitive 189 for 7 before persistent rain washed out England’s chase.Karthik had special praise for Iyer, who was under pressure after managing to score just 13 runs in two matches during the Ireland series. The skipper responded with 68 off 47 balls to lead India’s recovery.“He wanted to get off the pressure, so he was batting nicely,” observed Karthik. “He must have been under pressure because as a leader you have to talk to the bat first and he knew that. The skipper had to put his hand up and say, ‘I’m the skipper, I’m going to get the runs’, and he did that quite nicely.”And while Iyer has answered his critics, Samson’s lean remains a concern ahead of the second T20I at Old Trafford. With Sooryavanshi waiting in the wings, the pressure on the opener only increases, but Karthik believes the team management should continue to show faith in the experienced batsman rather than make a hasty change.
