Sanju Samson’s 57 in Delhi helps India take 2-0 T20I lead over Afghanistan

Sanju Samson made 57 off 22 balls at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, helping India move into an unassailable 2-0 lead over Afghanistan in their three-match T20I series.

After the match, the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter spoke about the pressure attached to playing for India and the need to retain an attacking approach even when failure brings criticism. “Being an Indian cricketer, it’s not easy to face failures,” he said, adding that he tries to shut out the noise and continue scoring at a high strike rate.

Samson said India’s current T20 method, built around maximising the powerplay, carries risk by design. The side has followed the approach for the past two or three years, he said, and players cannot expect consistent outcomes while aiming to score at such a pace.

For him, consistency lies in preparation: practice, hard work and the frame of mind taken into an innings. He also said competition for places within the top order is viewed differently inside the squad, where players want whoever is selected to perform well for the team.

The match was the second T20I at the Delhi venue, following the series fixture at Arun Jaitley Stadium.