Sanju Samson Exposed Again: Vaibhav, Not Sanju, Is What Team India Needs

Sanju Samson’s struggles on difficult batting surfaces have once again raised a serious question for Team India: if India have to choose between Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in their T20 setup, should they now invest in the younger batter?

There is no doubt about Samson’s ability. On a good batting surface, Samson can destroy any attack. We saw that during the 2026 T20 World Cup and more recently against Afghanistan. When the ball comes nicely onto the bat and there is limited help for the bowlers, Samson can play innings that very few batters in world cricket can match.

The concern is what happens when conditions become difficult.

Sanju Samson’s Struggles on Tougher Tracks

There has been a noticeable pattern in Samson’s recent scores when batting conditions have been more challenging.

Against Ireland

• 5 off 4 balls
• 0 off 1 ball

Against England

• 1 off 7 balls
• 27 off 14 balls

Asian Games

• vs Japan: 9 off 7 balls
• vs Sri Lanka: 7 off 9 balls
• vs Pakistan: 2 off 4 balls

The Asian Games has made this debate even more interesting. On slower surfaces where timing has not always been easy, Samson failed to reach double figures against Japan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The problem has not only been the lack of runs. Samson has also looked uncomfortable when the ball has not come nicely onto the bat.

Against Sri Lanka in the semi-final, Samson managed only 7 from 9 balls. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, batting on the same surface, scored 38 from just 21 deliveries at a strike rate of 180.95.

Against Pakistan in the final, Samson again struggled for timing and was dismissed for just 2 off 4 balls.

One or two failures can happen to any batter. But when similar struggles appear repeatedly in difficult conditions, India have to take notice.

Samson Can Destroy Any Attack on a Batting Track

It is equally important to acknowledge the other side of the argument.

Samson can destroy any attack when conditions suit his style of batting. His performances during the T20 World Cup showed exactly what he can do when he gets going.

More recently, he returned to form against Afghanistan and scored two half-centuries.

That ability makes Samson a dangerous T20 batter. The question is not whether he has the talent to dominate. He clearly does.

The bigger question is whether India can rely on him when the pitch offers assistance to the bowlers.

Major tournaments will not always be played on flat batting wickets. India need batters who can adjust when the ball grips, turns, stops on the surface or carries differently than expected.

That is where Samson’s recent struggles become a concern.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Offers India Something Different

This is where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi makes a very strong case.

On a batting track, Vaibhav has the ability to be as destructive as almost anyone. His natural attacking game allows him to put bowlers under pressure from the beginning.

But his biggest advantage in this debate is what he has shown on slower and two-paced wickets.

His 38 off 21 balls against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games semi-final was a perfect example. It was not an easy batting surface, yet Vaibhav maintained a strike rate above 180 and played an important innings for India.

He also showed his ability to adjust during the Zimbabwe series, where conditions were not always straightforward for batting.

Vaibhav is still extremely young and far from a finished player. His first experience in English conditions showed that he also has areas to improve, particularly against pace and bounce.

But that was his first tour in those conditions. He has time to learn.

What India have already seen is that on slow and two-paced surfaces, Vaibhav has the ability to judge the conditions quickly without completely sacrificing his attacking approach.

India Need Batters Who Can Perform in Different Conditions

This should be an important consideration for the Indian team management.

India cannot expect batting-friendly pitches everywhere.

In major tournaments, pitches can be slow, two-paced or helpful for fast bowlers and spinners. Opposition teams also know that one way to reduce the impact of India’s explosive batting lineup is to provide conditions where stroke-making is difficult.

That makes adaptability extremely important.

Samson’s scores of 5 and 0 in Ireland, 1 and 27 in England, followed by 9 against Japan, 7 against Sri Lanka and 2 against Pakistan, make his performances in challenging conditions worth examining.

These innings alone cannot prove that Samson will always struggle on difficult wickets. Cricket does not work like that.

However, when the same weakness appears repeatedly, it becomes something the selectors cannot simply ignore.

Vaibhav Should Have Played Against Afghanistan

This is also why Vaibhav’s absence against Afghanistan was disappointing.

Those were batting-friendly conditions where his explosive style could have been extremely effective. Short boundaries and good batting surfaces could have provided Vaibhav with the perfect opportunity to show the full range of his attacking game.

Instead, India continued with Samson, and Samson took advantage of those conditions by scoring two half-centuries.

Those runs deserve credit.

But India should avoid creating a cycle where Samson scores heavily on batting tracks and those performances are then used to keep Vaibhav out of the team when another opportunity arrives.

If India genuinely see Vaibhav as an important part of their future T20 plans, he needs a proper run.

If India Have to Choose One, Vaibhav Makes a Strong Case

This debate is not about questioning Sanju Samson’s talent.

Samson can destroy any attack on his day. His best performances have already proved that.

The debate is about what Team India need going forward.

Vaibhav is younger and naturally more aggressive. More importantly, he has already shown encouraging signs of being able to maintain his attacking approach on slow and two-paced wickets.

There will be failures. There will also be conditions, particularly against high-quality pace and bounce, where Vaibhav will need to improve.

But he has age on his side and plenty of time to develop those parts of his game.

Samson is already an experienced international batter. At this stage of his career, India need him to provide answers when batting becomes difficult, not only when conditions favour aggressive stroke-making.

If Team India eventually have to choose between Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for one position, the selectors have a major decision to make.

Based on what we have seen on slow and difficult surfaces, Vaibhav has strengthened his case considerably. India should give him consistent opportunities rather than judging him through isolated matches while Samson continues to get the more favourable batting conditions.

For India’s long-term T20 plans, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi deserves the opportunity to show whether he can become the player India need across different conditions.