"I don't want to trigger Sanju's fan army at all" - Aakash Chopra on Sanju Samson again getting dismissed similarly in IND vs ENG 2025 4th T20I
Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that he doesn't want to incite Sanju Samson's fan army. However, he pointed out that the wicketkeeper-batter has been dismissed similarly in all four of his innings in the ongoing T20I series between India and England.
Samson managed a solitary run off three deliveries as India posted 181/9 after being asked to bat first in the fourth T20I in Pune on Friday, January 31. The hosts then bundled the visitors out for 166 to register a 15-run win and take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener reflected on the Men in Blue's top-order collapse in the fourth T20I. As for Samson's dismissal, he said (8:30):
"India lost the toss and got to bat first. Sanju Samson once again got out in the same fashion. I don't want to trigger Sanju's fan army at all but the fact is that he has now been dismissed similarly four times."
"He got out to Saqib Mahmood's bowling this time. So continuously in the same fashion against the short ball, finding a fielder in the deep and once caught at mid-on, thrice against Jofra Archer and once against Saqib," Chopra added.
Jofra Archer dismissed Sanju Samson with short deliveries in the first three T20Is. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter pulled a Saqib Mahmood delivery straight down the deep square leg fielder's throat in Friday's game.
"We will not judge you on one performance" - Aakash Chopra on Tilak Varma's dismissal
![Tilak Varma was caught at third man off Saqib Mahmood's bowling for a golden duck. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/02/7ff63-17383882159053-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Tilak Varma was potentially overaggressive at the start of his things but added that he wouldn't question the youngster over one failure.
"He (Samson) got out and Tilak got out off the next delivery. There will be a question. It's an interesting era in which we are living where the 'GenWin' is deciding and coming that they would play like this only. He tried to hit a six off the first ball, got an outside edge, and was caught at third man. We will not judge you on one performance because Tilak Varma has scored a lot of runs," he said (8:55).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Suryakumar Yadav's dismissal for a duck left India in dire straits.
"If this is his way of scoring runs, okay then. If the Indian team wants him to play like this, okay then. Suryakumar Yadav came and got out this time for zero. Saqib, who wasn't playing earlier and whose visa was delayed, bowled a triple-wicket maiden. It has never happened in India's T20I history that they were reduced to 12/3 but it happened here," Chopra added.
Abhishek Sharma (29 off 19) and Rinku Singh (30 off 26) added 45 runs for the fourth wicket after India were reduced to 12/3. Hardik Pandya (53 off 30) and Shivam Dube (53 off 34) subsequently stitched together an 87-run sixth-wicket partnership to take the hosts to a competitive total, which proved enough.