India cricket team is having a nightmare time as their captain, Shreyas Iyer, along with the head coach Gautam Gambhir, failed to produce any result. They are yet to win a single match after winning the T20 World Cup 2026 in Ahmedabad. The Men in Blue lost the 2 Test matches in Ireland, followed by the first 2 T20I matches in the ongoing 5-match T20I series against England.
The new captaincy regime has failed to produce any result in the initial phase, as the former skipper Suryakumar Yadav was dropped from the captaincy after a poor campaign with the bat. The same is being witnessed under Iyer as the campaign has started on a disastrous note for the Men in Blue. India was bundled out for 74 while chasing down 201 in the 3rd T20I match against England, which created an even bigger debate over changing the batting lineup.
Abhishek Nayar Explains How India Should Bring Back Sanju Samson
One of the main talking points after the loss to England in the opening T20I was the omission of wicketkeeper batsman Sanju Samson from the squad. The player, who starred for India during the T20 World Cup final and also walked away with the Player of the Tournament award, could only manage 5, 0 and 1 in the last three matches before being replaced by the young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at 15 years.
With the inconsistent show of Tilak Varma, the fans and former players alike have raised their voices demanding that Sanju Samson be recalled immediately to shore up the innings. The likes of the Indian batting legend VVS Laxman have openly criticized the decision of leaving out Sanju Samson and called upon the selectors to give him another chance as he would be a difference-maker for the team.
But former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar thinks India should only consider recalling Samson if they are willing to bat him at his favored position.
“I think if you have to get Sanju Samson back in the team, you need to have a spot in the batting order where he can be successful in scoring runs. Because now, just for the sake of getting him in, you may end up putting him at 4,5,6 which, he hasn’t been able to score consistently. That’s not something he’s necessarily been good at,” stated Nayar while speaking to the channel.
Sanju Samson’s best position has always been at the top of the order, as he has been successful each time he has opened the innings or batted at the third position. Nayar thinks the new management should not compromise on his position in the batting order just to get him into the playing XI.
“He (Sanju) has been best when he has opened or batted at three. So if you aren’t giving him that opportunity, then I think it’s not a good idea to get him into the team and instead of playing Sanju Samson, stick with the current batting lineup that we have,” he added.
Also read: Suryakumar Yadav Urges Fans Not to Believe Fake Statement After India Squad Omission
Abhishek Nayar also told the management not to panic and take rash decisions in the wake of the losses to Pakistan and England, considering the fact that they trail 2-0 in the five-match series.
“You don’t want to press the panic button. You don’t want to make rash decisions. If Sanju Samson has to come in, that’s all the management has to do: put him in a position in the batting order where he can score runs. That’s what makes sense to me,” he concluded.
Now the onus is on the Indian management to figure out their next move ahead of the third T20I. With the batting lineup failing them repeatedly, it is high time they come up with sensible decisions if they are to have any hopes of turning this series around.
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