IRE VS IND: Loud cheers erupt as Hardik Pandya names Sanju Samson in playing XI, captain responds - watch

Ire vs Ind: India made three changes to their playing XI for the second T20I against Ireland with the headline change being in the comeback of Sanju Samson in the playing XI. The Rajasthan Royals skipper has come into the playing XI for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had injured himself in the series opener.

TN Sports Desk

Updated Jun 28, 2022, 21:40 IST

Sanju Samson has replaced Ruturaj Gaikwad in India's playing XI for the second T20I against Ireland |Courtesy-BCCI on Twitter

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Sanju Samson has returned to India's playing XI
Samson has replaced the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad
Samson was left out of India's squad for the home series against South Africa

The jam-packed crowd at the Village, Malahide Cricket Club was delighted with the team news as flamboyant batter Sanju Samson made a return to the Indian team. Samson replaced Ruturaj Gaikwad in the playing XI, who suffered an injury in the series opener which prevented him from batting and forced a major rejig in India's batting order.

India's stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya announced Samson's inclusion in the playing XI after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. On hearing Samson's name, a loud cheer erupted from all corners of the ground. Pandya was impressed with the crowd's reaction and said, 'A lot of people liking it I think.' Samson's IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) reacted to the ovation for their skipper.

Watch here-

Samson is coming into the series on the back of leading RR to the final of the IPL 2022. This was the inaugural champions' first appearance in the summit clash of the world's richest cricket league since 2008. Samson became only the second captain after the late Shane Warne to lead the Jaipur-based franchise to the IPL final. Samson's RR lost to Pandya's Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

Despite his good run of form in the IPL, Samson was left out of the Indian squad to face South Africa in a five-match home series. However, he earned a recall for the Ireland series but did not make the playing XI for the series opener with Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav taking the places vacated by Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the playing XI.

Overall, Samson has played 13 T20Is for India in which he has 174 runs in 13 matches and is yet to score a single half-century. Samson has walked out to open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan as India to seal another white-ball series win.

Latest News