Sanju Samson's poor form in the spotlight during England series

Sanju Samson has often responded to criticism with the bat, but time could be running out for the Kerala star in the ongoing T20I series against England.

The wicketkeeper-batter has struggled to replicate the form that made him India's standout performer during the World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament. His recent numbers for India, however, have been far from impressive.

Sanju endured a disappointing series against Ireland, scoring just five runs in the opening match before falling for a golden duck in the second. India lost both matches, and questions over his place in the playing XI grew louder.

What made the dismissals more concerning was that both came against the same bowler — left-arm pacer Jai Moondra — on the very first ball he bowled in each match. In the opening game, Sanju attempted to cut a delivery through the off side but got an inside edge that crashed onto the stumps.

In the second T20I, a good-length delivery trapped him leg before wicket off the very first ball of the innings. Fellow opener Abhishek Sharma also fell for a golden duck, making it the first time in history that both Indian openers were dismissed for ducks in the same T20I innings.

India went down by 34 runs in the opening match despite Abhishek Sharma's fighting 49. In the second T20I, Tilak Varma's 55 kept India in the contest, but they still fell short by one run.

Sanju's struggles continued in the opening T20I against England before rain forced the match to be abandoned. India got a chance to bat, but Sanju managed just one run before being dismissed thanks to a superb catch by Tom Banton.

The dismissal once again highlighted Sanju's recent struggles against the new ball. He failed to get on top of a good-length delivery, which Tom Banton caught brilliantly.

Conditions in England are often favourable for swing and seam bowling, and that remains an area of concern for Samson. He has looked uncomfortable against the moving ball, a worrying sign for an opener expected to provide India with solid starts.

With Sanju's lean run continuing, attention has now shifted to 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is waiting in the wings for a possible international debut. The teenager lit up the IPL with a fearless batting display, winning the Orange Cap after scoring 776 runs in 16 innings.

However, the Indian camp has given no indication that Vaibhav will be handed a debut against England. The team are unlikely to make changes at the top of the order. Abhishek Sharma has been among the runs in recent matches, while Samson remains capable of turning things around, as he showed during the World Cup.

Samson had also endured a lean patch before that tournament before making the most of his opportunity in the knockout stage, where he emerged as India's standout performer.

For now, India are likely to back their experienced opener once again. But with a prodigious young talent waiting for his chance, Sanju knows he cannot afford many more failures.