Every time Sanju Samson is dropped to the bench or from the squad, there is a wave of support on social media platforms. His staunch fanbase goes after his replacement player, the selectors or the head coach. Then, there is another wave on social media when he fails to fire, which happens more often than not. They blame the BCCI, the coach and the selectors for backing him. And the main in the eye of the storm keeps repeating that all over again. As the T20 World Cup 2026 approaches, he is in the hot topic of discussion with scores of 10, 6 and 0 in three innings in the IND vs NZ T20 series, spending a grand total of 13 minutes on the crease.
His competitor, Ishan Kishan, has already slammed a 76 off 32 and a 28 off 18 after scoring just 6 on his return to the side. As Kishan continues to breathe down his neck, Samson’s confidence continues to dwindle. But it’s not just his mental side of things; it’s also to do with the technique that continues to trouble him. Now, Team India are at a juncture where dropping him could be troubling and also keeping him would yield similar results.
Curious case of Sanju Samson
It was only in 2024 when it seemed Samson had finally made it big. He scored two centuries in South Africa after his maiden T20I ton against Bangladesh. Those three centuries overshadowed the fact that he also had five ducks. But even then, he looked in midious touch.
Before 2024, Sanju Samson already spent eight years in the Indian Cricket Team, playing just 24 matches, albeit on and off. But it was in 2024, with Gautam Gambhir taking charge of the side, that things finally seemed to be falling in place. Despite scoring two consecutive ducks against Sri Lanka, Gambhir backed him to open against Bangladesh and he repaid the faith with a ton. In South Africa, he scored 107, 0, 0 and 109. He was following the aggressive template Gambhir set.
But the England series at home in 2025 changed things for him once again. Samson scored 26, 5, 3, 1 and 16 in five innings, prompting the selectors to bring back Shubman Gill for the Asia Cup 2025. But Samson did not get dropped. Instead, he was assigned a new role at No 5, a position he never succeeded in. Samson ended 2025 with an average of 20.18 in 11 innings and a strike rate of 126.85 with just one half-century.
After the experiment fell flat, Gambhir backed him to open the innings again and Gill was shown the door, and so was his other backup, Jitesh Sharma. Now, Sanju Samson is the designated wicketkeeper-batter, who would open the batting with Abhishek Sharma at the T20 World Cup 2026.
However, before the T20 World Cup begins, that confidence is shaken. He is neither keeping wickets well nor is he batting well. That he has spent only 13 minutes on the crease in three matches will tell you about his form.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Altaf Qadri via AlamyIs it all technical?
One might argue that the constant chop and change in his batting position has shattered his confidence. But is that all mental? Or there is a technical side to it as well? Let’s see how Samson got out in the three matches of the IND vs NZ T20 series.
Former India opener and coach WV Raman believes it’s both mental and technical. Jofra Archer dismissed him thrice in the England series, while he also failed against Mark Wood’s extra pace.
“Sanju has a bit of a problem on both the technical and mindset front. The bat-speed on his downswing is the same for bowlers with different speeds. It will fetch him success against bowlers in the 130 kmph mark. But anything above or less than 130 kmph mark with variations in pace either way will create issues,” WV Raman told PTI.
Is it all mental?
On the mental front, Sanju Samson won’t be the first one to have such issues. Many great players, including Virat Kohli, have gone through ups and downs. However, unlike them, Samson’s problems have persisted for over a decade. The lack of confidence could be real as Ishan Kishan is hot on the heels. If he plays another good knock, he could replace Samson in the India Playing XI once Tilak Varma comes back in.
“He knows that there is a lot of competition for the wicketkeeper-batter’s slot in white-ball cricket. All that is probably putting pressure on him because he still has enough talent to work this out. He is a capable player and can deliver for India,” Raman added.
Rajasthan Royals High Performance Director, Zubin Bharucha, who has worked with Sanju Samson for many years, believes there is no technical problem; it’s all mental. He believes the lack of clarity is creating issues that make him an ordinary player from time to time.
It happens with everyone. Every player who’s played the game goes through this. He is no exception. Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) went through this just recently. It’s just a matter of learning to manage it better. It’s just about hitting a few more balls in areas you feel might be weaker than your strength. He has been scoring a lot more runs on the off-side than on-side, deliberately,” Bharucha told PTI.
Time & patience running out with Sanju Samson
While he still seems to have the backing of Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, time and patience could both run out soon. And then, it will be game over. India’s only real competition in the group stages of T20 World Cup 2026 is Pakistan. Hence, Samson still has time to get things in order. But if the problems persist, Ishan Kishan could replace him in the Super 8 when India face stronger opposition.
And once Kishan returns, it could be over for Samson once and for all. It is likely that post the T20 WC, Shubman Gill will return to the scheme of things. More importantly, Gill will have a leadership role, making him undroppable. If that happens, Samson will be dropped once again, and that could be the last time. There are plenty of takers for the top and middle-order, with Shreyas Iyer still warming the bench.
Hence, whatever Samson does, must do it soon.
It’s mental & technical: Is it game over for Sanju Samson? Inside Sport India.
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