Sanju Samson’s form is turning into a huge headache for Team India heading into the T20 World Cup. The right-handed batter has failed to get going in the opening three T20Is against New Zealand, and the clock is ticking at a rapid pace for the Kerala-born batter, considering how Ishan Kishan has been killing it at No.3. There was a lot of furore when Shubman Gill took Samson’s place as an opener and there were calls by many highlighting the injustice done to the latter despite his three T20I tons for India in 2024.
With Gill not yielding the desired results, he was shown the door from the T20 World Cup squad, and Samson came back to his role as an opener. However, the first three T20Is against the Kiwis have seen scores of 10, 6, and 0, while Kishan, playing as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma, has returned scores of 8, 76, and 28.
The stark difference in the two batters’ performances has led Kris Srikkanth to say that Kishan is undroppable now, while Samson might once again be shown the door. He also put the former Rajasthan Royals captain under the scanner for being inconsistent and failing to make the most of his opportunities.
“You can’t drop Ishan Kishan now, no chance. Kishan is a more devastating player than Sanju Samson. I feel bad for Sanju. He seems desperate. He could have scored well in the last match and could’ve played well if he were a bit sensible,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“The problem with Samson is his consistency. He makes a hundred but doesn’t score much thereafter. His performance has been quite up and down over the last 1.5 years. It has been a year and a half since his century against South Africa,” he added.
‘Samson will miss out’
In the third T20I against New Zealand, where India chased down 154 with 60 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand, Samson got out for a first-ball duck as his stumps were rattled by Matt Henry.
Srikkanth reckons that with the whirlwind knocks in the second and third T20Is, Kishan has almost nailed his place in the playing XI, which will lead to Samson being ousted.
“Samson has been unlucky sometimes, but at the end of the day, you are facing competition. You can’t help it. Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma are a certainty. Obviously, Samson will miss out. Kishan is a keeper-batter too, and he is in such a dangerous form,” said Srikkanth.
In the third T20I, where India gained an unassailable series win, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav hit unbeaten 68 and 57 to help India chase down 154. The Indian captain, who failed to hit a single fifty for India in 2025, roared back in style in 2026 by smashing back-to-back half-centuries, giving the hosts the biggest positive heading into the T20 World Cup.
“Most importantly, Suryakumar Yadav has returned to form. He led India to victory in the last game, and now he is back in full force. He is back to his old self. The momentum has returned to Surya, which is very important for a captain and batsman. He is gaining confidence. Also, the way Jasprit Bumrah bowled. Any bowler would’ve been bowled with that. He visualised that ball,” said Srikkanth.