AFG v IND 2026: ‘Very happy for Sanju Samson, he understood he had a supporting role’- Ajinkya Rahane on opener’s performance

Sanju Samson made 10, 57 and 50 in the Afghanistan T20Is.

Former India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane showered rich praise on Sanju Samson for his performance in the recent Afghanistan T20I series. Though the keeper-opener got out for 10 runs in the opening game, he made amends by scoring 57 and 50 in the next two games as India defeated Afghanistan 3-0 in the series.

In addition, Rahane said that being an experienced player, Samson knew he would be playing a backing role in the top order, with his opening partner Abhishek Sharma playing aggressively.

"I am happy for Sanju Samson that he scored runs with consistency. He batted really well and played as per his role. Abhishek Sharma batted differently, and Sanju Samson had to play a supportive role. I think a senior player has this understanding,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.

Rahane also emphasised that Samson deserved to play and get an extended run at the top of the order. This came after Indian team management chose to open with Samson over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, despite his exploits in Zimbabwe T20Is.

"Sanju deserved to play because he has been performing for many years. His batting position kept on changing. Sometimes he batted at five or six; when the team needed him at four, he batted there. He has batted from one to seven," he added.

Ajinkya Rahane feels that patience will be the key for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Ajinkya mentioned the danger that the youngster might receive the ire of the fans due to his early failures. According to him, the team management needs to develop Vaibhav for the big stage. He also feels that having played alongside India will prove helpful for the youngster.

"He is talented and has the skill, but I think he will have to wait. We form opinions very quickly. If a player is doing well, people form that opinion of him. There is nothing wrong with that, but you have to see that it doesn't affect the player's mindset. It's about grooming the players.

If he doesn't perform well, people will be quick to form an opinion that he got an opportunity but didn't do anything. The more time he spends with the Indian team and the experienced players, the more his game will develop. No doubt, we have seen the kind of talent he has in the IPL, and he has had limited opportunities. But yes, we will have to groom him and give him some time. The challenge for team management is to decide when to give Vaibhav Suryavanshi a chance and, when he gets the chance, not to judge him quickly,” Rahane stated.

Sooryavanshi, who was benched for the Afghanistan T20Is, has played six T20Is so far and scored 193 runs at a strike rate of 189.21.