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Hometown hero in heartbreaking incident at Greenfield International Stadium Sanzhou Samson Unable to seize golden opportunity, crowd in Thiruvananthapuram fell into shocked silence In the fifth T20I against New Zealand.
The wicketkeeper-batsman’s struggles at the top of the order came to a breaking point in his final audition, despite the electric “Tri-State Fever” that swept the stands. 2026 T20 World Cup. Partner at opening Abhishek Sharma Samson showed his resolve with a six-point haul in the first round, but Samson looked clearly caught up in the pressure of expectations and ultimately lost by a meager score, putting his place in the national team under intense scrutiny.
IND vs NZ: Lockie Ferguson silences Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson departs 6
The stage was set perfectly for Samson to silence his critics on his home turf, but a fairytale return quickly turned into a nightmare as he was knocked out cheaply in the third round. Facing the primitive pace Rocky FergusonSamson struggled to find his timing despite a boundary earlier in the game. In the fifth ball of the third ball (2.5), Ferguson bowled a full delivery to invite the drive; Samson, deep in his crease, reached for a high shot but only hit the thick outer edge.
The ball flies deep behind Bevin Jacobs Tracked well and made a sharp catch. Samson left the field on six for six and the stadium fell into a funeral silence. With that in mind, this “failure show” is particularly damaging Ishan Kishanis back in the XI tonight, and Tilak VarmaSet to rejoin the squad on February 3, both are pushing for a starting spot at the World Cup. As he walked back to the dugout, the frustration of the local fans was palpable as they realized their hero might have just played his last international game on home soil for the foreseeable future.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Three weeks of knowing Samson
– Unable to play spin
– Unable to play quickly
-Only PR can survive
– Contact with politiciansThe most overrated cricketer in the history of cricket. pic.twitter.com/PfFMjxl7ry
— Marcus (@MARCUS907935) January 31, 2026
They really replaced shubman gill with this sanju samson. I don’t think anyone has ever had as ugly a 6-7 pass rush as he has. He should not come close to international cricket again. This technology is so shameful
– Active (@cirketttt) January 31, 2026
I have been watching cricket since 2014
I have never seen a bigger fraud in my life than Sanju Samson pic.twitter.com/rKkmQWPF7J
– 𝘿𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙝 (@screwgauge77) January 31, 2026
Haven’t seen a worse batsman get so much hype and recognition without doing anything for India. Regrettably, regional bias has seeped into Indian cricket selections. I mean how could anyone with cricketing intelligence think that sanju would succeed in any decent bowling match
— Sandy (@SB_071162) January 31, 2026
If Sanju fails to accumulate 1100 points in the next 2 seasons, he should not be retained for the next big auction. We cannot lose people like Ayush/Kartik because of him. For someone with 14 years of IPL experience, his performances have been too inconsistent.
— Abhi⚒️ (@abhi_backup07) January 31, 2026
Gautam Gambhir watch Sanju Samson pic.twitter.com/VKVAMOmYvI
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) January 31, 2026
Sanju Samson If sympathy and PR never existed. pic.twitter.com/rVasKxdCYt
— Kunal Yadav (@Kunal_KLR) January 31, 2026
Sanju Scam-s-con in his last 16 T20i innings:
26(20), 5(7), 3(6), 1(3), 16(7), 56(45), 13(17), 39(23), 24(21), 2(4), 37(22), 10(7), 6(5), 0(1), 24(15),6(6)
– 16 average,
– 126 SR pic.twitter.com/JeoNq4NSRw— Vaikon (@vaikon) January 31, 2026
Sanju Samson seems to have taken Gambhir seriously and will not get him out even if he scores zero points in 20 games.
— Akmal Khan (@Destroyedin2021) January 31, 2026
Sanju Samson seems to have taken Gambhir seriously and will not get him out even if he scores zero points in 20 games.
— Akmal Khan (@Destroyedin2021) January 31, 2026
Sanju Samson 2026 T20I series vs New Zealand
Samson’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January 2026 proved to be a severe test of character, ultimately putting his T20 World Cup aspirations in jeopardy. Samson, who has the onus of being India’s opener alongside Abhishek, struggled to find his rhythm from the start, scoring 10 points in Nagpur and six in Raipur at the start of the series. The pressure mounted after he was demoralized by a player knocking him down during a golden duck match in Guwahati. Matt Henry Peach on the first ball of the chase.
While he briefly showed his signature intent with 24 off 15 balls in Visakhapatnam, his return in Thiruvananthapuram brought ultimate heartbreak; he scored just 6 runs before losing to Ferguson, ending the series with a dismal 46 runs at an average of 9.2. This “consistently inconsistent” performance has posed a major selection dilemma for the team management given the prolific form of Ishan Kishan and the impending return of Tilak Varma On February 3, doubts were raised over whether Samson would retain his place in the starting XI for India’s World Cup opener against the United States.
Also read: Rohit Sharma picks ‘key players’ for India in T20 World Cup 2026
