Senior Guardian of India Dinesh Karthik threw his support behind Saint Samson despite the poor form of the opener, insisting that the experienced batsman deserves more support even as calls for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continue to grow.Samson’s struggles continued in the opening T20I against England at Chester-le-Street, where he fell short after India opted to bat first. It was his third consecutive low point, having also suffered a disappointing series against Ireland, prompting fresh debate over whether Sooryavanshi should be given an opportunity. However, Karthik believes it would be premature to make a change.“Sanju Samson has, once again, had a bit of a failure. Three innings on the bounce means that the calls are coming good and strong for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but I still hope that they will return to someone like Sanju Samson, because, under pressure, in the T20 World Cup, a few months ago, he did the job, so we have to bring him back,” said Cricbuzzik.He also ordered patience with the highly valued young man.“Vaibhav needs to earn the right to play in this XI even though he is extremely talented, and I have no doubt that he will do very well in international cricket,” he added.Karthik also reflected on India’s surprising decision to bat first despite cloudy conditions and the constant threat of rain, suggesting the team’s recent 0-2 series defeat in Ireland played a significant role in that call.“India, choosing to bat, was a good decision, although obviously there was some time around the corner constantly… The general tendency is to chase totals,” he said.“It was a bit off and awkward evening there because the rain was still looming around the corner, but I think Ireland’s hangover was there a little bit. So, India decided, ‘don’t chase it and bat first.’India’s resolve initially appeared to backfire as they fell to 6 for 2 in the first two overs after Samson and Ishan Kishan they were fired early. However, captain Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma he salvaged the innings with contrasting half-centuries, guiding India to a competitive 189 for 7 before persistent rain washed away England’s chase.Karthik reserved special praise for Iyer, who was under pressure after managing just 13 runs in two matches during the Ireland series. The skipper responded with a composed 68 off 47 balls to lead India’s recovery.“I wanted to get rid of the pressure, so I batted well,” observed Karthik. “He must have been under pressure, because as a leader, you need to walk the talk with the bat first, and he knew that. The skipper needed to put his hand up and say: “I’m the skipper, I’m going to take the runs”, and he did it very well.”While Iyer has responded to his critics, Samson’s lean form remains a concern in the second T20I at Old Trafford. With Sooryavanshi waiting in the wings, the pressure on the opener is only increasing, but Karthik believes the team management should continue to show faith in the experienced batsman rather than making a hasty change.