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Sanju Samson’s poor form continued as he was not in his best form in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram. Samson scored just six runs while trying to hit a six across the line, giving a thick outside edge to the third fielder. The wicketkeeper-batsman had a tough time in the five T20Is in 2026.
Sanju Samson scored only 46 runs in 5 innings. He continues to show his weak approach to the ball. It was one of the worst forms for the batsman, who had broken the unwanted record he set with India 12 months ago when a repetitive short-ball scheme resulted in an unsuccessful record of just 51 runs in five games against England.
“I think it’s happened twice in about 12 months now” – Aakash Chopra
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has slammed Sanju Samson for his poor batting performance ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. He also revealed the same dismissal of batsmen, which is highly unusual at the international level.
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Chopra said in a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, “I think it’s happened twice in about 12 months now. It all started in the England series. Very rarely do you find a top-order batsman forming a pattern, especially in the shortest format of the game. He was dismissed five times the same way – short balls into the deep. Again, if you see his dismissals versus pace, it’s a strange pattern.”
“Even before the ball is bowled, you’re deep inside the crease. You try to hit the ball but the front foot isn’t going anywhere. As a result, every time you bowl the ball, your bat actually closes. He was lucky to get an outside edge once in Thiruvananthapuram. In the last game, he closed the bat too early again, so there was a pattern again.”
Tri-state Samson loses position
Sanju Samson found himself in a very difficult situation. The wicketkeeper-batsman may lose his place in the Indian team again due to his poor performance. Ishan Kishan took his stunning domestic performances to international cricket, scoring 215 runs in the series against New Zealand. The latter is the second-highest run-scorer in the series after captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Kishan, who is also a wicket-keeper and can open the batting, was seen wearing gloves in the final T20I on Saturday. This is a clear indication that India is likely to adopt a left-handed approach on the Samson issue in Sanju. With less than a week to go before the T20 World Cup kicks off, this could be a wake-up call for Samson.
India will be crowned champion by three left-handers
As it stands, Ishan Kishan is the favorite to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, who is expected to be fit and join the team before the big event and could bat at number three for India. Therefore, all three of them will be lefties in the Men in Blue’s top three.
The combination of the Indian team against the United States in the first game is worth waiting for us to wait and see.
