Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has come out in strong support of under-pressure wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson ahead of the second T20I between India and West Indies, scheduled in Ranchi. Pujara urged the team management not to second-guess Samson's place in the playing eleven despite a run of low scores, arguing that a World Cup-winning performer deserves the backing to play freely.

Samson's Recent Lean Patch

Samson's struggles with the bat have been a talking point in recent weeks. In the first T20I against West Indies in Lucknow — which India won by eight wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series — he managed only 11 runs before being dismissed. The low score extends a concerning sequence: Samson's recent Asian Games campaign produced scores of 9, 7, and 2 respectively, raising questions about his form at the top level.

Pujara's Case for Samson

Speaking in an interview to JioHotstar, Pujara was unequivocal in his backing. 'I hope that there is no pressure on him, because there shouldn't be. He has won a World Cup for the Indian team and performed exceptionally well there. He's a quality player. So there shouldn't be any questions around him being part of the playing XI,' Pujara said.

Pujara added that this is precisely the moment when team management must step in with a positive message rather than exert further pressure. 'Yes, you might have one or two bad games, and then if he has that, that's the time when the team management has to step in, to give him the right message that, "You are an important part of this team and will be part of this playing XI, so just go out there, express yourself, play your natural game,"' he said.

On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Selection Stability

Pujara also addressed the broader debate around squad selection, cautioning against making too many changes in quick succession. 'In a T20 format, there'll be some failures in between. But that's the time when you talk to a player, give him the right message. Yes, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is there, he will get his opportunity when the right time comes, but you don't make too many changes. If Sanju plays another two or three innings, I'm sure he will perform exceptionally well,' he added.

Pujara on Abhishek Sharma's Dismissal

Pujara also offered his assessment of opener Abhishek Sharma's early exit in the first T20I, where the left-hander was dismissed by off-spinner Roston Chase. He noted that West Indies captain Shai Hope had astutely identified the Lucknow surface as spinner-friendly and brought Chase on early. 'Abhishek's record against off-spinners hasn't been great, though he's improved that number significantly. But at Lucknow again, it looked like he wasn't in the best frame of mind against spinners. His options, especially against Roston Chase, could have been slightly better. He wanted to hit that ball over covers, but eventually it ended up going to long-off,' Pujara observed.

Despite the lapse, Pujara remained confident in Abhishek's ability to bounce back quickly. 'The turnaround time between the games wasn't ideal, so with one game, you don't judge him too much. It was just one of those off days for him, but in the second T20I, he will be raring to go,' he concluded.

With the series still in its early stages and India holding a 1-0 advantage, all eyes will be on whether Samson can rediscover his touch when the two sides meet again in Ranchi.