Samson establishes his role of opener as India beat Afghanistan by seven-wickets

Sanju Samson silences his doubters with a blistering 57 off just 22 balls, firing India to a comfortable 7-wicket win over Afghanistan in the 2nd T20I — sealing the series. 🇮🇳🏏

The Samson Statement

After a rough patch on the UK tour (where his inconsistency cost him and handed young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a debut), Samson reminded everyone why he's India's preferred T20I opener. In a brutal 7-over spell, he punished Afghanistan's spin attack hard — 4 sixes, 7 boundaries — virtually killing the game cold. Ishan Songirkatte then eased to an unbeaten 38 off 23 as India cantered to victory in 14.5 overs.

Setting the Stage

India bowled Afghanistan out for a modest 159/8 on a sluggish pitch, then chased it down with ease. Abhishek Sharma (39 off 19) and Samson shared an 88-run opening stand in 6.2 overs, reminding bowling attacks why that opening combo is so dangerous up front.

Key Takeaways

- Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled 3 overs for 3/24 — a nice answer to those worried about finding a seaming all-rounder in the whiteball format

- Afghanistan threw their full spin quartet (Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb, Noor Ahmad) at India early, but Samson ended the threat before holing to Rashid at long-off

- With only the Asian Games later this month before 2028, this series had little stakes — but it carried huge weight for Samson's international future

What's Next

Now that the series is sealed, the real question: will India rest Samson and give Sooryavanshi a go in the 3rd T20I on Thursday? For now, Samson's made the teenager work even harder for his spot. 💪

#IndiaVsAfghanistan #T20I #SanjuSamson

Source: Times of India