Hanuma Vihari links Sanju Samson's lean form to competition for opening spot
Vihari believes competition from Sooryavanshi is adding pressure on Samson following his lean run since the World Cup.
Hanuma Vihari said Sanju Samson tends to underperform when facing competition for a place in the Indian team. The former batter cited Samson's lean patch during Ishan Kishan's return earlier this year and suggested the same pressure is affecting him now with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the setup. Samson has scored two half-centuries in 11 innings since the 2026 T20 World Cup, with six single-digit scores.
Samson was dismissed for 11 in the first T20I against West Indies in Lucknow on Tuesday. Vihari said pressure plays a major role in cricket and players must learn to handle it regardless of competition. He remains a big fan of Samson and believes the Kerala batter deserves patience after his World Cup heroics.
Samson won Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup with three match-winning knocks in the knockout stages. His recent form has raised questions about his place in the XI ahead of the second T20I in Ranchi on Friday.
CricHubb Take
Samson's inconsistency since his World Cup peak shows that tournament-defining performances do not guarantee immunity from selection pressure in a results-driven setup.