Watch: Sanju Samson silences critics, smashes 57 off just 22 balls in IND vs AFG 2nd T20I

Sanju Samson silenced his critics with a stunning 57 off just 22 balls in the second T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His quick innings included seven fours and four sixes, helping India chase the target of 160 with ease.

Samson looked in great touch and attacked the Afghanistan spinners with confidence. His innings helped India take control of the chase, but he was eventually dismissed by Rashid Khan while trying to hit a six. The knock also came after calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to replace Samson following his poor performance in the first T20I.

The Kerala-born batter has now scored more than 50 runs every time he has faced over 15 balls in a T20I innings in 2026. His previous scores were 97* against the West Indies, 89 against England and 89 against New Zealand. 

Watch Samson’s devastating innings here.

Sanju Samson roars back with fiery fifty in Delhi against Afghanistan

Sanju Samson made a strong comeback with a fiery fifty against Afghanistan in Delhi. He entered the match under pressure after a quiet performance in the series opener, with questions being raised about his place at the top of India’s batting order.

The pressure increased because Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was also part of the squad. Samson started slowly, scoring only 8 runs from his first 10 balls, but he soon changed gears and began attacking the Afghanistan bowlers.

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Samson took on Mohammad Nabi and the other bowlers, hitting boundaries with confidence during the Powerplay. He was eventually dismissed while trying to hit Rashid Khan for another six, but his quick innings had already given India a strong start in the run chase.

From 10 off 8 to 57 off 22: Samson's redemption after 1st T20I failure

Sanju Samson bounced back strongly after scoring just 10 runs in the first T20I against Afghanistan. He reached his fifty in only 20 balls after starting slowly, scoring 8 runs from his first 10 deliveries. His quick knock helped him answer the questions over his place in the team.

Samson returned to India’s squad for the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games after missing the Zimbabwe tour. He had struggled during the UK tour, which led to his exclusion from the team and gave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an opportunity. Samson later returned to the side after Sooryavanshi failed to make an impact.

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With his latest fifty, Samson became the fifth Indian opener to score more than 1,000 runs in T20Is. He now has 1,026 runs as an opener for India at a strike rate of 181.59. Overall, he has scored 1,499 runs in T20Is at an average of 27.25 and a strike rate of 158.12, along with three centuries and seven fifties.

"Answered in style" — Fans and experts react to Samson's counter-attack

Fans and cricket experts praised Sanju Samson after his impressive counter-attack against Afghanistan. His quick fifty was seen as a strong response to the criticism he faced after his poor performance in the first T20I.

The Indian batter returned to the national squad for the Afghanistan series and the upcoming Asian Games after being rested during the Zimbabwe tour. His latest performance has once again shown his ability to make an impact at the top of the order.

Many fans believe Samson has answered his critics in style with this knock. His aggressive batting has also strengthened his position as one of India’s dangerous T20 openers. Here is how the fans reacted: