Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik he has thrown his support behind Sanju Samson despite the opener’s underperformance, insistence that the experienced batsman deserves a lot of support even as young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s call-up continues 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 relegation, after also suffering a disappointing performance against Ireland, sparking fresh debate over whether Sooryavanshi should be given a chance. However, Karthik believes that it is not time for him to change.“Sanju Samson has also had a bit of a flop. Three innings on the bounce means the calls are coming good and loud for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but I still hope he will come back with someone like Sanju Samson, because, under pressure, in the T20 World Cup, a few months ago, he got the job, so we have to support him,” said Karthizz on Cricbuzz.He also encouraged patience with the highly respected young man.“Vaibhav deserves the right to play in this XI despite his immense talent, and I have no doubt that he will do well in international cricket,” he added.Karthik also reflected on India’s surprising decision to bat first despite the weather and the constant threat of rain, suggesting that the team’s recent 0-2 loss to Ireland played a role in that call.“India, in choosing to bat, was a good choice, although, obviously, there was a bit of weather around the corner all the time… The main trend is to chase the numbers,” he said.“It was a tough and tough night because it was raining all the time, but I think Ireland had a little bit of it. So, India thought, ‘let’s not rush and bat first’.”India’s strategy initially seemed to go awry as they slumped to 6 for 2 inside the first two overs after Samson and Ishan Kishan he was quickly dismissed. Anyway, captain Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma saved the innings by a couple of different ages, leading India to 189 for 7 before incessant rain ended England’s chase.Karthik reserved special praise for Iyer, who was under pressure after scoring 13 runs in two matches in the Ireland series. The bowlers responded by making 68 off 47 balls to spearhead India’s recovery.“He wanted to take the pressure off, so he batted well,” Karthik said. “He must have been under pressure, because as a leader, you have to talk to the bat first, and he knew that. The pilot had to put his hand up and say, ‘I’m the pilot, I’ll run’, and he did it very well.”While Iyer responded to 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 openers will only increase, but Karthik believes that the team management should continue to show faith in the experienced batsmen instead of making hasty changes.
