Leading up to the T20 World Cup 2026, Sanju Samson lost his spot in the playing XI after a series of poor starts. Ishan Kishan was the preferred opener alongside star batter Abhishek Sharma. However, with the top order being filled with left-handed batters, Samson found his way back into the playing XI and proved his mettle in the must-win clash against West Indies and then in the semi-final vs England and New Zealand in the final.ย
He was adjudged the Player of the Tournament and following which, it was believed that the keeper-batter had cemented his spot in the playing XI. Three games later, doubts have once again started to creep in. Representing Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Samson enjoyed a decent campaign, scoring 477 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of over 165. He was expected to lead Indiaโs batting unit against Ireland in the two-match T20I series, but the Kerala batter flopped miserably and now, in the first T20I vs England, he made just one run off seven balls.
Now, someone who has stepped in and delivered when it mattered the most, Samson shouldnโt be judged on the basis of just three outings. However, how can India team not react, especially when a 15-year-old wonderkid, named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is waiting in the wings, waiting for an opportunity. He turned the tide in the recently concluded IPL, scoring 776 runs, the most by a player and winning the Most Valuable Player award.ย
Consistency and Samson do not walk hand in hand
For Samson, consistency has always been a major problem. Apart from the three half-centuries in the T20 World Cup 2026, the opener hasnโt scored more than 50 in his last 15 innings. Now, thatโs a pattern. His last half-century was registered vs Oman in the 2025 Asia Cup and since then, he was handed a long rope, but the cricketer failed to prove himself and that led to him being dropped ahead of the World Cup.ย
So, Sooryavanshi should be considered? Ideally. He has done everything to be named in the playing XI and after an embarrassing series defeat to Ireland, he definitely should have started vs England at Chester-le-Street, but the team management backed the same batting combination. It didnโt work for Samson again. How many before India make the obvious change? Thereโs an extraordinary talent waiting for his international debut.ย
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