Why Sanju Samson is Not Playing Today in ENG vs IND 2nd T20I?

India and England are locking horns in the second T20I today at Old Trafford, Manchester. After the first match was washed out by rain, India won the toss and chose to bat first. However, when the playing 11 was announced, fans were left completely shocked.

One of the best wicket-keepers in the world, Sanju Samson, is missing from the team! His sudden absence at the top of the order has raised many questions. Is he injured, taking a tactical rest, or is the team making way for a highly anticipated debut? Let's find out why Samson is sitting out tonight.

Why Sanju Samson is Not Playing Today?

The star-wicket-keeper, Sanju Samson, is not playing today because he has been struggling to score runs lately, including getting out for just one run in the first match. The team wanted a more confident batter at the top since the pitch is tough and helps fast bowlers early on.

There is huge excitement to let 15-year-old star Vaibhav Suryavanshi play. Because of this, the team brought in a direct Sanju Samson replacement to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma, while Ishan Kishan takes over the wicketkeeping duties.

A String of Low Scores: What Went Wrong for Sanju Samson?

Sanju Samson’s recent form has been a big worry for the team since the IPL ended. He has struggled against fast bowlers on bouncy pitches, recording very low scores of just 5 and 0 against Ireland, followed by a disappointing 1 run in the first match against England. Because of these back-to-back failures, he couldn't give India the strong start they needed, forcing the management to drop him for today's game and try out other options.