Sanju Samson Likely to Retain Spot in India's XI for 2nd T20I
Despite three consecutive failures, Gautam Gambhir is expected to keep faith in Sanju Samson for the second T20I against England in Manchester.
After a rain-affected opener, India and England are set for the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday. The first match was abandoned after India posted 189, thanks to Shreyas Iyer's fifty and Shivam Dube's quickfire 42. England are boosted by the return of Jofra Archer, who has joined the squad and is likely to play.
For India, head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to persist with Sanju Samson despite his poor run of three single-digit scores. Samson will open with Abhishek Sharma, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains on the bench. Ishan Kishan, who has been unlucky with two run-outs, will slot in at number three.
The middle order features Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel. Iyer's return to form is a positive, while Varma faces no immediate threat despite a slow knock in the first game. The playing XI is likely unchanged, with Gambhir backing his players after just one match.