IMAGE: Sanju Samson was dismissed for 10 against Afghanistan. Photograph: BCCI

Key Points

• Sanju Samson scored just 10 runs against Afghanistan, reigniting debate over his T20I spot.
• Fans on social media have called for Samson's retirement due to his recurring inconsistency.
• Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Samson's inability to perform consistently.
• Samson's recent failures come after a successful T20 World Cup, highlighting a dip in form.

Sanju Samson's latest failure has once again put the spotlight on his place in India's T20I side, with fans on social media calling for the batter to retire after his brief stay against Afghanistan in Delhi on Sunday.

Samson, who was picked ahead of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the opening T20I, managed just 10 runs from eight balls before being dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai in the third over.

The right-hander had the backing of Coach Gautam Gambhir and Captain Shreyas Iyer, but failed to make the most of the opportunity.

Chasing 157, Samson went for a pull against a short delivery from Omarzai, only to mistime the shot straight to the fielder at deep square leg.

His dismissal also drew a sharp assessment from former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, who pointed to Samson's inconsistency.

Samson's Inconsistency Under Scrutiny

'Sanju Samson doesn't help his own cause; he's pretty inconsistent,' Manjrekar said on commentary.

Samson had been rested for the previous series against Zimbabwe, with Sooryavanshi opening alongside Abhishek Sharma. The teenager had impressed on that tour, scoring 50, 20 and 81 to be named Player of the Series.

Samson had earlier been named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup after match-winning knocks against the West Indies in the Super 8s, England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final.

However, he failed to carry that form into the two T20Is against Ireland and the following match against England, after which he was benched and Sooryavanshi made his debut on the UK tour.

Samson returned for the fifth and final T20I after Sooryavanshi also failed to make an impact, but was then rested for the Zimbabwe series.

Fan Reaction And Future Doubts

His latest failure against Afghanistan prompted some fans to question his future, with several taking aim at his recurring dismissal while attempting the pull shot.

'Dear BCCI, please don't play Sanju Samson in tin-pot series. Let him play only in World Cup matches,' a fan wrote.

'Every time that pull shot... Sanju Samson, what is your obsession with the pull?' another fan wrote.

'Please retire, Sanju Samson.'

'How many times have you got out to such silly balls which should've been gone for six? How many times have you got out on the same shot? You know the fielder is there and still went for that same shot,' another fan wrote.