India secured a T20 series win against Australia, but the team's combination still seems imperfect. It's yet to be decided who will be India's first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Sanju Samson was part of the playing XI for the first two T20 matches against Australia. Rain in the Canberra T20 prevented Sanju from batting. In the subsequent Melbourne T20, Sanju batted at number three, scoring just 2 runs.
After a disappointing performance in Melbourne, Sanju Samson was excluded from the playing XI. In the last three T20 matches, Jitesh Sharma became part of the playing XI, considered a suitable option for batting at number five, six, or seven. Jitesh scored an unbeaten 22 in the Hobart T20 but managed only 3 runs in the Gold Coast T20.
Before the Asia Cup, Sanju Samson shone as an opener in T20 Internationals. Last year, he scored three centuries while opening, two against South Africa and one against Bangladesh. However, the Indian team management hasn't shown as much faith in him for the middle order.
Middle Order Doesn’t Suit Sanju's Batting Style
Sanju Samson has scored 995 runs in 51 T20 Internationals with an average of 25.51, including three centuries and three fifties. As an opener, he has excelled, but his middle-order performance has been lackluster, averaging 20.56 with only two fifties.
Shubman Gill's T20 International return during the 2025 Asia Cup bumped Sanju Samson from the opening position. Throughout the Asia Cup, Sanju didn't open in any match while Shubman paired with Abhishek Sharma for India's opening. Shubman has since been promoted to captain the Test and ODI teams and is vice-captain for T20 Internationals, securing his spot in the playing XI. His performance in T20 Internationals this year has been underwhelming, scoring 259 runs across 12 matches with an average of 28.77, and a top score of 47.
Source: aajtak
The Indian team's balance seems to be disrupted in their efforts to accommodate Shubman Gill. When the Asia Cup squad was announced, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned Sanju Samson was selected because players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were unavailable. In the Asia Cup, Shubman's performance was not as commendable as Sanju's; Shubman scored 127 runs with a 21.16 average in 7 innings, while Sanju scored 132 runs at an average of 33.00 in four innings.
In the recent T20 series against Australia, Shubman Gill managed 132 runs across five innings with an average of 44, though his form seemed off. His strike rate during the Australian series was 136.08. In contrast, his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, scored 163 runs with a strike rate of 161.38.
Will Sanju Be Dropped from the T20 Team?
Following Shubman Gill's comeback, Sanju Samson hasn't been able to secure his spot in the playing XI, influenced by one poor showing in the Melbourne T20. Whether Sanju will reclaim his place will possibly become clear during the five-match T20 series against South Africa starting December 9.
The Indian team for the T20 series against South Africa hasn't been announced, but it's anticipated that Sanju Samson may be included in the squad. However, his return to the playing XI appears challenging. Should he receive an opportunity and fail to meet expectations, he might be out of the T20 team. Meanwhile, wicketkeepers like Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel are in stellar form and could make a comeback.
