India retains Sanju Samson for second T20I against England

Former India batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Aakash Chopra urged the Indian team management to keep wicket‑keeper‑batter Sanju Samson in the playing XI for the second Twenty20 International against England. Samson, who has struggled with the bat since India's T20 World Cup win, scored only one run in the first match, which was abandoned after the first innings due to rain. Pujara argued that the team should avoid “unnecessary noise” and give Samson a longer run, while suggesting any debut for youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi should come through player rotation rather than displacing an established top‑order player. Chopra echoed this view, recommending no changes to the batting order and supporting the inclusion of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and others as originally planned.

The second fixture is scheduled for Saturday in Manchester, with India seeking to stabilize its middle order after a low‑scoring start and to maintain continuity ahead of the remaining series matches.