Ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Indian team looked in good shape against a strong New Zealand side. New Zealand won the fourth match of the five-match T20I series but the home team still took the lead.

Team India will enter the final match of the bilateral series with a 3-1 lead. Despite their dominance, the Indian team management has been trying to iron out some issues to maintain good form ahead of the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka on February 7.

Sanju Samson’s running drought remains a concern

India will be the favorites to win this tournament. To keep the spirit and momentum high, management wants all the boxes to be met. Currently, Tri-State Samson’s running drought is giving the team some headaches.

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Ahead of the fifth T20I between India vs New Zealand at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Team India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed that the management has been supporting Sanju Samson but the wicketkeeper-batsman has not delivered on the promise so far.

In the ongoing series, Samson is facing a tough phase after returning to the top spot as he has scored just 40 points in the last four games at an average of 10 and a strike rate of 142.86.

“Sangju Samson is a senior player. He may not be getting as many runs as he should be. Our job is to put him in good space. We all know what he is capable of,” the batting coach said at the pre-match press conference.

Ishan Kishan’s form puts pressure on Sanju Samson

Samson’s bat speed and footwork were criticized as he was dismissed early on several occasions against the New Zealand pacers. The batsmen started batting at the beginning of the game and then got used to the conditions. As a result, he fell short time and time again.

Samson was under pressure as fellow wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan was in brilliant form but was dropped from the playing mix in the fourth over due to a niggle.

Kishan’s injury didn’t appear to be serious as the southpaw was spotted on the sidelines during the match, looking as energetic as ever. Kotak hopes he will be able to play in the upcoming games, but the final decision will be made by team doctors.

“Kishan is likely to play. The team doctor will take a call,” he confirmed,” Kotak said.

Abhishek is a smart player – India coach

Apart from Sanju Samson’s poor performance, there were a lot of positives for the team. Abhishek Sharma’s performance is outstanding. Kotak kept the openers informed in an effort to further improve his batting.

To enhance his performance, he often talks to captain Suryakumar Yadav, who is also recovering from a long spell of poor form.

“Abhishek is a smart player. In the second game, he got caught in deep square leg. In the next game, he was ready for it. He did talk to Surya; he was open,” Kotak added.

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