Sanju SamsonEven Rashid Khan was whacked for a four and a six before the Afghanistan spinner, and rest of the bowlers, perhaps, breathed a collective sigh of relief." It’s about just watching the ball and trying to get maximum out in the powerplay.

Sometimes it works out well, sometimes it doesn’t. After a few failures, you definitely go through a lot.

Being an Indian cricketer, it’s not easy to face failures, but that’s where my experience comes in," he said in the post-match press conference." I try to shut out the noise, try to be confident and come out and still keep scoring at a high strike rate, even taking the chances, even knowing that if I fail again, I will be facing a lot of noise.

But I think that’s the way we are built here in Indian cricket. I just go out there and try to score maximum and contribute," he continued.

As Samson took the crease in the first T20I, and not Sooryavanshi, the experts were divided. Kris Srikanth argued that Sooryavanshi "wasn't being treated properly".

R Ashwin, meanwhile, implored the selectors, coaches and beyond to "understand his position." And yet, Samson gets how challenging making this call between the two is."

It’s a very challenging place to be in. Right from the whole team management, the captain, coach and selectors.

It’s a very tough choice, actually. All of them (himself, Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma) are really good, all of them are performing, and all of them have to be given the right opportunity to keep performing at the international level," said Samson."

It’s a very tough decision. I totally understand.

"" I have been in this kind of space for quite a few years, so I just know how to balance it out. Just think about what is in my control and try to be very positive with your competitors as well."

I think they are competitors for the outside world, but we are a team and we are playing for a country. We want to win the game first, and then it comes down to the other individuals."

We try to be as positive as possible, and whoever is playing, we want them to do well. We just have to be ready for our own opportunity.

We can’t sulk or be in a negative frame of mind, thinking, ' Yaar, mujhe nahi mila, usko kyun diya?' Those kinds of mindsets don’t work here," he explained.

For now, Samson has seemingly stalled the debate with a cracking knock in New Delhi. But whether it is enough to get a longer rope, with continued chances, remains to be seen.

PollWho should be given more chances in the T20 format?

Low Ze Sheng has spent the past two years trading memecoins, chasing the jokes and bursts of attention that can send a token soaring before the crowd moves on....