Star batter Sanju Samson failed to score big on his comeback in the fifth T20I between England and India. The game is being played in Southampton on Saturday, July 11.
England posted a massive total of 257/3 after being asked to bat first. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma walked out to begin the chase for India. The right-hander showed positive intent, taking the attack in the powerplay. He scored 27 runs off 14 balls, including three fours and a couple of sixes, at a strike rate of 192.86.
While he looked good, Samson could not convert his start into a big score, particularly in a massive run chase. On the first ball of the sixth over, Sam Curran got the better of Samson with a good length delivery that angled across the off-stump.
Samson tried to put it away through the covers but ended up slicing the ball straight to the cover point fielder, thus perishing in a soft manner. It was a half-hearted drive as Jacob Bethell made no mistake, completing a simple catch in the end.
Watch the dismissal here.
Having lost Abhishek Sharma early, India needed a big partnership in the chase. Samson and Ishan Kishan managed to add just 30 runs off 16 balls for the second wicket.
Sanju Samson fails to make the most of a golden opportunity
Following low scores in his last three T20Is before the ongoing game, Sanju Samson lost his place to Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the side, who debuted in the second T20I and played the next two games as well. Samson was also omitted from the squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour, where India will play three T20Is.
Surprisingly, despite being dropped for the Zimbabwe series, Samson was given an opportunity in the final T20I against England as Suryavanshi sat out. Unfortunately, he failed to make the most of this chance, despite looking good for his 14-ball 27.
In the three games he played before this, he managed to score just six runs, with scores of 5, 0, and 1, respectively. Therefore, the 2026 T20 World Cup hero has found himself fighting to cement his spot in the side once again following a string of poor scores.
Edited by Rishab Vm
