Sanju Samson did not come out to bat in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match, with Ishan Kishan opening in his place. Kishan has been in red-hot form and had hit a hundred in his last T20I outing. He scored a strong fifty in the practice game too.
India seems to have made their decision on who is going to open in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, with their calls in the last few days clearly indicating that Ishan Kishan is now way ahead of Sanju Samson.ย
With Kishan being in such red-hot form and Samson being out of touch, the former was sent in to open the innings in the warm-up fixture against South Africa on Wednesday, February 4 and he starred yet again.ย
Kishan slammed a blistering 20-ball 53 before being retired out as the Men in Blue also gave game-time to the returning Tilak Varma, who also scored 45 from 19 balls. There was no sight of Sanju Samson with the bat and Kishan also kept the wickets, something which he also did in the fifth T20I against New Zealand a few days ago.
Kishan, who scored a century in that fifth T20I against the Kiwis from No.3, was asked about when he got to know that he would be opening in the warm-up game. He replied that it was a day before this match at the Dr DY Patil Stadium that he was informed of the call. “Found out a day before [about opening in this warm-up game],” Kishan told broadcasters after India won the practice game by 30 runs.
Varma’s strong return makes Samson all but out of the Playing XI
Tilak Varma has made a brilliant return to competitive cricket from his testicular torsion, for which he required surgery. He scored 38 from 24 balls in his first competitive outing for India A against the USA and backed that up with a more blistering outing against the Proteas, against whom he made a rollicking 45 from 19 deliveries. All this makes Samson all but out of the Playing XI of the Indian team.ย
At toss of the warm-up fixture, India captain Suryakumar Yadav had confirmed that Ishan will be opening the innings with Abhishek. “Going to bat first. I’ve heard there might be dew later on, so we want to challenge our bowlers. Want to test ourselves tonight. Definitely Ishan and Abhishek (to open),” Kishan said at the toss.