Sanju Samson first on the chopping block after India’s series loss to Ireland, says Aakash Chopra

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has raised fresh concerns about Sanju Samson’s future in the T20I side after India lost their two-match series against Ireland 2-0 in Belfast, with the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter managing just five runs across both games.

India’s batting fell apart in both matches. In the first T20I on Friday, June 26, they were bundled out for 148 chasing 183, losing by 34 runs. In the second game on Sunday, June 28, the right-hander was trapped lbw off the very first ball by Jai Moondra for a golden duck as India again crumbled, finishing at 153 for nine, one run short of Ireland’s 154 for eight.

“Sanju got out on the first ball. Now I am getting a little worried about Sanju because he is the first player on whom the wrath falls. If someone has to go out, the first man on the chopping block is Sanju. So I was secretly hoping he would score runs, and definitely in the second match once he got out in the first,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

India’s top-order failures go beyond Sanju Samson: Aakash Chopra

Chopra also drew attention to the broader batting failure across both T20Is, noting that Jai Moondra had troubled India repeatedly. He pointed to a pattern in captain Shreyas Iyer’s recent innings as well.

“Jai Moondra actually bowls well. Abhishek Sharma got out on zero, Ishan Kishan got run out, and in the last two or three matches, whether you see the ODI series or here, Shreyas Iyer has not been scoring runs, and he is getting out the same way,” Chopra added.

How did India lose a chase they nearly completed in Belfast?

Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer were all gone within the first three overs, leaving India at 19 for three. The scramble to rebuild pushed several batters out of their natural positions.

“Then you realize you are down in the dumps. Suddenly, you sent Axar Patel up the order, moved Shivam Dube down, had expectations from Suryansh Shedge, and you lost the game. You say how did that happen,” Chopra observed.

India now travel to England for a five-match T20I series, with the first game scheduled for Wednesday, July 1, at Chester-le-Street. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is yet to make his international debut, remains in the squad alongside Samson for the England assignment.