Will Team India Drop Sanju Samson from the T20 World Cup Playing XI?

ByAnupam Pandey,SportsCafe Editor

Today at 5:18 PM

The Indian team tried a new opening pair in the warm-up match against South Africa. Abhishek Sharma opened for the team, and the spot of Sanju Samson was taken by Ishan Kishan.

The Indian team tried a new opening pair in the warm-up match against South Africa. Abhishek Sharma opened for the team, and the spot of Sanju Samson was taken by Ishan Kishan. With Samson not coming to bat in the warm-up match, this raises questions on his exclusion from the playing XI in the T20 World Cup.

The Indian team played its first warm-up match of the T20 World Cup a few hours ago. The match saw Indian batsmen giving their best, whether it was Ishan Kishan or Suryakumar Yadav. But there remained a concern also, as the batting line-up of the team had some changes in the top order.

Earlier it was Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson who used to open for the team. But in the warm-up match, the spot of Sanju Samson was taken by Ishan Kishan, who recently made his comeback to the team. As the batters continued to step into the crease, Sanju Samson was the only missing batsman in this game.

1. India's Batting Dominance in Warm-up Match

India and South Africa were set to face each other at the Dr DY Patil Stadium for the warm-up match. Winning the toss, the Indian skipper decided to bat first. There were a number of questions after the New Zealand series, regarding who would open for the team. When it was asked to Suryakumar Yadav, he said that it would be Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma.

Ishan Kishan went on to score 53, as Abhishek Sharma scored 24 runs. Following this, Tilak Varma, who made his comeback after an injury also performed well. Tilak was able to score 45 runs in 19 balls, as the skipper of the team, Suryakumar Yadav, smashed 30 runs off 16 balls.

By this time, fans expected Sanju Samson to step out to the ground to bat. But that didn't happen. The middle order continued with Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, and Hardik Pandya, as all of them showed their striking abilities. Hardik Pandya impressed the fans by scoring a quick 30-run knock in just 10 balls.

When his wicket fell, the team was out of batters except Sanju Samson. Still, it was Harshit Rana who stepped to the crease to play the final ball of the innings. Even in a crucial warm-up match, Sanju Samson did not get a chance to bat for the team and gain some confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup.

2. Has Kishan Won the Opening Race?

During the India vs New Zealand T20I series, Tilak Varma was unavailable for the team. He suffered from a testicular torsion and had to go through surgery. In his place, the team had decided to put Ishan Kishan at number three spot. With Kishan and Sanju together, it seemed more like a competition on who will be replaced once Tilak comes in.

Sanju Samson in New Zealand Series:

First T20I: 10
Second T20I: 6
Third T20I: 0
Fourth T20I: 24
Fifth T20I: 6

Sanju Samson had repeated failures in the T20I series against New Zealand. He finished the entire five match series without even bringing a 30+ score for the team in a single knock. This had raised some serious questions on the form of Sanju Samson right ahead of the T20 World Cup.

On the other hand, it was Ishan Kishan, who made his comeback to the team after more than 2 years. Since Samson was dismissed early in all the games, Ishan Kishan was coming to bat in the powerplay only. And he made sure to use every possible opportunity to cement his place in the playing XI.

Ishan Kishan in T20Is:

First T20I: 8
Second T20I: 76
Third T20I: 28
Fourth T20I: Did Not Play
Fifth T20I: 103

Eventually, Ishan Kishan played just four games in the New Zealand series and went on to score a century and a half-century in the same. While Samson failed to score, Tilak Varma was also made clear by the BCCI to play. And now, there have been debates on who would be dropped in place of Tilak Varma.

Was an answer to this question given in the warm-up match against South Africa?

3. Samson's Falling Numbers

Sanju Samson remained at the peak of his career in the T20I series against South Africa in 2024. He smashed two centuries in the series, which gave hopes to the team that the opening duo will remain at its peak. But over the last few months, Samson has not been able to play well for the team, regardless of his batting position.

Sanju Samson in T20Is Since 2025:

Innings: 16
Not Out: 0
Runs: 268
Average: 16.75
Strike Rate: 128.22
100s: 0
50s: 1

Whether it was the T20I series against England, South Africa, or New Zealand, he was not able to score effectively for the team. And with Kishan showing up just before the T20 World Cup, the race for the opening slot remained heated. With Samson's falling numbers, it still remains to be seen what will be India's playing XI in the game against USA.