RANCHI — As the Indian cricket team gears up for the second T20I against the West Indies at the JSCA International Stadium, the spotlight has turned toward the composition of the middle order. While India holds a commanding 1-0 lead in the five-match series following a clinical eight-wicket victory in Lucknow, the recent form of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has sparked a wave of debate. However, former Indian Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara is firmly steering the conversation away from uncertainty, insisting that the management must prioritize stability over reactionary changes.
Samson, a player often celebrated for his elegant stroke-play and high-impact potential, has endured a challenging stretch of late. His struggles were highlighted again in the series opener, where he managed just 11 runs. This followed a lackluster run during the Asian Games campaign, where he registered scores of 9, 7, and 2. Despite the noise surrounding his recent output, Pujara believes the Kerala cricketer is an essential asset who has earned the right to be backed by the national setup.
‘There shouldn’t be any questions around his place’
Speaking in an exclusive interview with JioHotstar, Pujara adopted a protective stance regarding the 29-year-old. For the veteran batter, the solution to a lean patch is not the chopping block, but the security of knowing one’s position is safe.
“I hope that there is no pressure on him, because there shouldn’t be,” Pujara asserted. “He has won a World Cup for the Indian team and performed exceptionally well there. He’s a quality player. So there shouldn’t be any questions around him being part of the playing XI.”
Pujara, who built his own legendary career on the virtues of patience and technical resilience, emphasized that T20 cricket’s high-risk, high-reward nature inevitably leads to fluctuating returns. He argued that the team management’s true value is revealed when a player hits a dry spell, and that proactive communication is key to restoring a player’s confidence.
“Yes, you might have one or two bad games, and then if he has that, that’s the time when the team management has to step in, to give him the right message that, ‘You are an important part of this team and will be part of this playing XI, so just go out there, express yourself, play your natural game,'” Pujara explained.
The former batter also addressed the calls for bringing in new blood, specifically referencing the young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. While acknowledging Sooryavanshi’s undeniable talent and potential to make an impact in the future, Pujara urged caution. “Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is there, he will get his opportunity when the right time comes, but you don’t make too many changes. If Sanju plays another two or three innings, I’m sure he will perform exceptionally well.”
Analyzing the Lucknow Setback: Lessons for Abhishek Sharma
While the focus remains largely on the middle order, Pujara also turned his attention to opening batter Abhishek Sharma, who faced a premature end to his innings in Lucknow. Sharma, who has been lauded for his explosive power-hitting, looked settled against the West Indian seamers before falling to off-spinner Roston Chase.
Pujara dismissed the idea that Sharma’s dismissal was indicative of a fundamental technical flaw, characterizing it instead as a momentary lapse in decision-making. “Abhishek got off to a good start against seamers, but Shai Hope quickly realised that on that Lucknow pitch there was enough assistance for the spinners,” Pujara noted.
The veteran observed that while Sharma has made marked improvements in his battle against off-spinners, the specific delivery that led to his downfall in the series opener highlighted a lapse in game plan. “At Lucknow again, it looked like he wasn’t in the best frame of mind against spinners. His options, especially against Roston Chase, could have been slightly better. He wanted to hit that ball over covers, but eventually it ended up going to long-off.”
Confidence Remains High for the Second T20I
Despite the frustration of the first game, Pujara remains remarkably bullish about the youngsters’ prospects as the series moves to Ranchi. He emphasized that one game is an insufficient sample size to judge a player’s worth, particularly when that player possesses the clean striking ability of Sharma.
“I’m sure he will learn this very quickly, because he’s timing the ball well,” Pujara said, defending the young opener. “The turnaround time between the games wasn’t ideal, so with one game, you don’t judge him too much. It was just one of those off days for him, but in the second T20I, he will be raring to go.”
As the Indian side prepares to take the field in Jharkhand, the message from the senior statesman is clear: trust the process, support the talent, and allow the players to execute their natural game. Whether the team management chooses to heed Pujara’s advice and keep the faith in the current lineup remains to be seen, but the expectation remains that India will look to solidify their lead with a more consistent batting performance as the series unfolds.
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