Indiahave been undefeated in the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup with four wins from as many matches. The Suryakumar Yadav-led India kicked off their journey with a win over the USA. The defending champions defeated Namibia in their second game. India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in their third game to punch their ticket to the semi-final. The Men in Blue ended their league stage campaign with a win against the Netherlands. Despite India's success,Abhishek Sharma'sform remains a big worry. The left-handed batter hasn't scored a run in the ongoing ICC event. Despite his dry run of form, he seems to have the team management's backing.
Speaking to the media on the eve of the Super 8 game against South Africa, Suryakumar Yadav ruled out making any changes in the batting line-up and confirmed Sanju Samson's future. The India captain all but confirmed that Samson won't get a chance now.
"You are saying that I should play him (Samson) in place of Abhishek? Or in place of Tilak? Everything is going well. We are making 40-50 runs in powerplay. It's normal cricket. It happens sometimes now that we have played exceptionally well in bilaterals. The wickets have been different here. It has been challenging," Suryakumar said.
Samson got a chance to play against Namibia in Abhishek's absence. The right-handed batsman scored a quick 22 off just 8 balls before being dismissed. A fit-again Abhishek returned against Pakistan, which meant no place for Samson.
Sanju Samson lost his place in the playing XI. Photo: BCCI
Sanju Samson was India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman going into the WC. Ishan Kishan was included as his backup. However, Samson's poor form cost him his place and Ishan replaced him.
Samson only managed to score 46 runs in 5 matches in the T20I series against New Zealand before the ICC event. Kishan made the most out of the opportunities and piled up 215 runs in only four innings. He batted at an average of 53.75 and hit a century and a half-century.
With 176 runs in four matches, Kishan is India's highest run-scorer in the 2026 T20 WC. Batting with a strike rate of 202.30, Kishan has hit 11 sixes and 19 fours.
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Rishav Narang is an experienced writer with nine years of experience in sports journalism. He extensively writes on cricket and covers live matches, b...View More
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