Cheteshwar Pujara backs Sanju Samson amid calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut

Former Indian Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes India should persist with Sanju Samson amid calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut. Samson returned with scores of 5 and 0 on the Ireland tour and was dismissed after scoring one run off seven balls in the first T20I against England at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.

Samson had scored 321 runs in five matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 and played a key role in taking India to glory. Furthermore, Samson had a decent run in IPL 2026, scoring 477 runs in 14 matches for Chennai Super Kings.

On the other hand, many experts reckon that Sooryavanshi should make his India debut sooner rather than later after he smashed 776 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2026.

“I think India should persist with Sanju Samson. I don’t think he should be feeling any pressure. He has proved himself in the T20 World Cup and, with the kind of talent he possesses, he should be there in the playing XI,” Cheteshwar Pujara said while speaking on JioStar.

“There shouldn’t be a lot of noise about dropping Sanju Samson. He is a quality player and should get a longer run. Sanju just needs to bat naturally and not think too much. If Vaibhav needs to play, he should play, but not at the expense of dropping someone, rather by resting someone. If you want to give him an opportunity, that is fine. But you shouldn’t be dropping any of India’s top three players, whether it’s Sanju, Abhishek or Ishan Kishan. Having said that, Vaibhav does deserve an opportunity, and his opportunity will come,” he added.

Pujara said being part of India’s T20I squad is a big moment and a great learning curve for Sooryavanshi.

“This is a massive opportunity for him. He might not have got a chance in the playing XI, but he is part of the Indian team. It’s a big thing if you are in the 15-member squad, and it’s a dream-come-true moment for him. When he gets a chance in the playing XI, it will be an even bigger moment than that,” he said.

The second T20I between India and England will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday.