NEW DELHI: The biggest selection headache for India ahead of the T20 World Cup surfaced at the top of the order. The management had to settle on a partner for Abhishek Sharma while also locking down the wicketkeeper’s role, a decision that sat at the heart of the squad debate earlier. Sanju Samson ticked both the boxes, edging out vice-captain Shubman Gill in a call chief selector Ajit Agarkar later explained was driven by team composition rather than individual merit.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!That call also marked a subtle shift back to earlier thinking. Throughout much of 2024 and the early part of 2025, India invested heavily in Samson as an opener, consistently pairing him with Abhishek across bilateral series. The partnership was shelved ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup when Gill was reintroduced to the T20I setup following his Test duties, forcing Samson into a role that neither suited his strengths nor gave him time to settle.
Batting in the middle order, Samson struggled to find rhythm and clarity. His reduced impact opened the door for Jitesh Sharma, whose late-order hitting offered the team a different kind of utility as a backup wicketkeeper. By the time World Cup planning gathered pace, the selectors were forced to reassess yet again, especially with Gill enduring a lean run and failing to provide the explosiveness expected in the PowerPlay.The equation flipped once more. Samson was restored to the opening slot, while Ishan Kishan, fresh from a standout Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, was brought back into the mix as reserve wicketkeeper and top-order cover. On paper, the pieces finally appeared to align, giving India clarity at the top and flexibility behind it.However, a crack has appeared in what otherwise looks like a well-constructed T20 batting line-up. India raced to an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand, built on a string of dominant batting displays. Yet Samson has barely featured in any of those victories.
Poll
Should Sanju Samson be replaced as an opener in the T20 World Cup squad?
His struggles are openly visible and immediate. Across the series so far, his scores read 10, 6, and 0 — numbers that sit awkwardly alongside India’s emphatic results. The figures make for damning reading.Former India women’s team coach WV Raman offered a technical reading of Samson’s dismissals and wrote on X: “Samson will be inconsistent as long as he doesn’t adjust the speed of his bat on the downswing in relation to the pace of the ball. In simple terms, one can’t drive a car at the same speed all the time, everywhere.”The concern, though, runs deeper than a single week against the Kiwis. Samson’s lean run stretches back nearly a year. Since January 2025, he has survived the PowerPlay just once in nine T20I innings as an opener. Over that period, he averaged only 11.55. Overall, he has averaged 17 in 14 outings at a middling strike rate of 126.59. The lone 50-plus score came against Oman.The question now is how long Samson can cling to the opening spot.Adding another layer of intrigue is Ishan Kishan’s form and suitability for the same role. Kishan has mirrored Abhishek Sharma’s attacking philosophy with ease. While Kishan’s opportunities have partly come due to Tilak Varma’s injury, he has also reminded the management of his genuine experience as an opener in this format.In practical terms, Samson’s early dismissals have turned Kishan into a de facto opener in the ongoing series.The return of Tilak Varma, who is expected to be fully fit by the World Cup, will see him reclaim the No. 3 position immediately. That leaves India with an opener low on confidence and a backup brimming with runs, rhythm, and intent.Despite the noise, there is still huge backing for Samson. Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane believes the onus is on the leadership group to provide clarity and reassurance.“That’s where I feel the team management’s role and the captain’s role will be crucial, telling Sanju Samson that ‘you’re going to play all these matches and also in the T20 World Cup as well, so don’t worry about your place,’” Rahane said on Cricbuzz.“Sanju Samson will have this pressure on himself as he’s basically trying to match Abhishek Sharma. The only thing for Sanju Samson is sticking to his own game plan and backing himself.”Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has echoed that sentiment, warning against reactive selection calls. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin cautioned that frequent chopping and changing between Samson and Kishan could unsettle the dressing room.“It’s way too early to think of dropping him. If India keeps doing such circus acts by playing Sanju when he did well before, and now Kishan because he’s playing well now, I don’t have to tell how it’ll end for India. It’s not ideal inside the dressing room. There is a lot of competition for places, but it’s too early for this change,” Ashwin said.For now, India appear set to persist with Samson. In a series where Suryakumar Yadav finally rediscovered his form, the belief is that Samson can do the same in Vizag and Trivandrum. But if the runs continue to dry up, India may yet find themselves confronting another uncomfortable decision, with Sanju Samson once again at the centre of it.
