After a string of failures, pressure is on Sanju Samson to get some runs under his belt, while Tilak Varma’s held-back approach in middle overs is also an issue in the second India-England T20 match. However, the focus of attention during the next few games would be Samson and whether he can weather the Sooryavanshi storm that is building up on the sidelines.

In an alternate universe, three back-to-back match-winning knocks in India’s T20 World Cup triumph would have given Samson a cushion for a year. But with Indian cricket discovering the generational talent of Sooryavanshi, Samson’s margin for error has become minimal and the T20 World Cup halo alone cannot save him.

With Abhishek Sharma smashing his way to 49 and 59 in two of the last three games, the pressure is entirely on Samson to get some runs under his belt. In the opening game that was washed out, Samson looked miserable, scoring a single run off seven balls and not for once did it seem that he is trying to take the high-risk high-reward route.

The technical flaws in Samson’s game did not inspire a lot of confidence when he plays on seaming tracks. Ireland’s unheralded Jai Moondra, who actually hails from Rajasthan’s Tonk, had exposed his frailties during successive games with deliveries that moved off the surface. In case of Samson, the occasional high scores have always been flanked by a series of low returns on either side and that has been his biggest bane.

While the team management is firm on not pushing the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi but he possibly cannot be kept cooling his heels if this continues for another couple of games. However, it is not just Samson who is struggling in this batting order. The highly talented Tilak Varma’s held-back approach in the middle overs is also an issue.

Varma simply seems incapable of pushing the scoring rate once slow bowlers come into operation or seamers take pace off their deliveries. In 12 T20I games in 2026, Varma has been able to hit only 12 sixes, which is one per game.

The bowling department is unlikely to feature any changes as Old Trafford track offers some grip and wrist spinners have had a good time at the venue. For England, the power-packed batting line-up led by skipper Harry Brook and the dynamic duo of Phil Salt and Tom Banton can take the Indian attack on.

Also read: First India-England T20 washed out