IND vs NZ, 4th T20I: Sunil Gavaskar Unmasks Sanju Samson's Critical Batting Flaw after his Dismissal

Sunil Gavaskar slammed Sanju Samson’s dismissal in the 4th T20I against NZ, highlighting his lack of footwork. With poor scores and technical flaws under scrutiny, Samson’s T20 World Cup 2026 spot hangs in the balance ahead of a crucial final match.

Former Team India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar criticized Sanju Samson’s dismissal in the Men in Blue’s 50-run defeat in the fourth T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand at the DR YS Rajashekhara Reddy Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, January 28.

Sanju Samson once again came under immense scrutiny after his repeated failures to make an impact in four matches of the series against New Zealand. With the T20 World Cup 2026 just around the corner, the Kerala cricketer’s form appeared to have caused concern for the Team India management, despite being reinstated as an opener after the selectors excluded Shubman Gill from the squad due to a lack of runs and combinations.

In four outings, Samson registered the scores of 10, 8, 0, and 24, aggregating 40 runs at an average of 10 and a strike rate of 142.86, highlighting continued struggles at the top order, putting further pressure on India’s opening combination ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Samson’s Lack of Footwork

After Team India collapsed to 9/2 in 2 overs, the onus fell on Sanju Samson to carry on India’s 216-run chase. Samson showed some signs of getting back to his groove, smashing three fours and a six before New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner bowled him out. Samson’s batting struggle, coupled with his dismissal, prompted a blunt assessment by Sunil Gavaskar.

Speaking on air during the commentary for the Vizag T20I, Gavaskar noticed that Samson did not move with feet while attempting a shot, allowing the ball to skid through and rattle the stumps.

“My first impression is that there was no footwork at all. Not very sure whether there was any turn,” Gavaskar said.

“First impression was he was just standing there making room and playing through the offside," he added. ‘

Sanju Samson was dismissed for the third time by Mitchell Santner in T20Is and scored just two runs at a strike rate of 20, as the left-arm spinner once again had the upper hand against a right-handed batter, underlining Samson’s continued struggles against quality spin in the shortest format.

Samson’s Technical Flaws Exposed

Further speaking on Sanju Samson’s dismissal, Sunil Gavaskar pointed out technical flaws in the Kerala cricketer’s batting, stating that a lack of footwork and the tendency to move outside the leg stump left him exposed, making it easy for the bowlers to target the stumps.

“Like I said, hardly any movement of the feet. Going outside leg-stump, once again exposing all three stumps, and when you miss, the bowler's gonna hit, and that's what happened to Sanju Samson the second time around," Gavaskar added.

Sanju Samson is currently in a situation where he cannot afford repeated failures, as competition for spots in India’s top order continues to intensify ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

With the fifth and final T20I of the series against New Zealand, which will take place at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson’s home ground, the Kerala cricketer has one final opportunity to prove his credentials as a reliable top-order batter and silence critics ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.