T20 World Cup 2026: Is Sanju Samson’s Dream Over After Warm-Up Snub Against South Africa?

Sanju Samson was the only specialist batter who didn’t bat in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up vs South Africa. Combined with Ishan Kishan’s explosive fifty and Samson’s recent poor form, it has sparked speculation over his place in the playing XI.

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson did not get to bat in the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match against South Africa at the DY Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The selected players in India’s 15-member squad played their only warm-up match ahead of the Men in Blue’s opener against the USA at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, February 7.

Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India defeated South Africa by 30 runs, thanks to a brilliant all-round show. After posting a commanding total of 240/6 in 20 overs, Indian bowlers restricted the Proteas to 210/7, despite Ryan Rickleton’s (44) and Tristan Stubbs’ (45) fiery performances, batting at a strike rate of over 205. Despite the efforts of Rickelton and Stubbs, South Africa fell short of the target.

For India, Abhishek Sharma picked up two wickets, while Shivam Dube, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh took a scalp each. Dube had an expensive outing with the ball, conceding 57 runs at an economy rate of 14.20 in his spell of four overs.

Sanju Samson Snubbed from Warm-Up Match

Though India won the warm-up match against South Africa ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 opener, the main talking point from the outing was Sanju Samson’s absence from the batting card. After winning the toss, India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav revealed that Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma would open the batting for the hosts. This means Ishan replaced Samson at the top of the order.

Sanju Samson was still in the line-up, as the warm-up match allows every player in the squad to get game time if required. Surprisingly, the Kerala cricketer did not get an opportunity to bat with India’s top and middle order consuming all 20 overs. When Suryakumar said, ‘definitely Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma’ at the toss, it all but confirmed Samson was not part of India’s preferred opening combination for the warm-up.

Ishan Kishan (53), Abhishek Sharma (24), Tilak Varma (45), Suryakumar Yadav (30), Axar Patel (35*), Hardik Pandya (30), and Rinku Singh (16) all got an opportunity to bat, highlighting every other specialist batter and all-rounder n the XI was given game time, while Sanju Samson remained the only member of the 15-man squad to miss out on batting opportunity,

The decision from the team management stems from Sanju Samson’s poor outing as an opener in the T20I series against New Zealand, wherein he scored just 46 runs at an average of 9.2 and a strike rate of 135.29 in five matches.

Samson was included in the India squad as the first-choice wicketkeeper and one of the main openers, alongside Abhishek Sharma, after the BCCI selectors excluded Shubman Gill, who failed to make an impact as an opener after his return to the T20I setup. However, Samson failed to leverage the opportunity as his performance in the T20I series against New Zealand left a lot to be desired, with repeated early dismissals raising concerns over his consistency at the top of the order.

End of Dream for Sanju Samson?

Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the warm-up snub against South Africa sparked speculations over his chance of playing in the main tournament, which will begin on February 7. Samson’s absence from batting, even though after specialists batters got an opportunity to get a game time under their belt, became a top of the discussion on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter).

Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts voiced a mix of disappointment, frustration, and reluctant acceptance of Samson not getting an opportunity in the warm-up match. Many fans lamented that the Kerala cricketer may have missed the opportunity due to poor form, while others backed team management’s decision by acknowledging Ishan Kishan’s red-hot form and asserting that Samson has ultimately failed to capitalise on the opportunity he was given.

Sanju Samson was part India squad that won the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024. The wicketkeeper-batter did not get a single opportunity as Rishabh Pant was preferred as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, but the 2026 edition has been seen as a fresh chance for him to stake a claim for a regular role.

Samson’s omission from the playing XI for the warm-up match against South Africa became all the more significant, as it underlined team management’s current preferences and cast doubt on Samson’s place in the starting XI.

Will Samson Get to Play in the T20 World Cup?

After being snubbed from batting in the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match against South Africa, the question is whether Sanju Samson will get an opportunity in India’s playing XI for the opener against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Samson was in contention with Ishan Kishan for the opener as well as the first-choice wicketkeeper’s batter.

In the T20I series against New Zealand, Ishan Kishan played at No.3. He had a standout performance in his comeback to the national side, amassing 215 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18.

This was contrary to Samson’s performance, who struggled for consistency at the top of the order, with repeated dismissals and modest returns tilting the balance in favour of Ishan Kishan ahead of the tournament opener. Ishan appeared to have secured his spot as the opening partner for Abhishek Sharma for the T20 World Cup with a 53-run knock in the warm-up match against the Proteas in Navi Mumbai.

Team India management is likely to go ahead with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma as an opening combination for the T20 World Cup, leaving Sanju Samson to fight for a spot either in the middle-order or remain on the bench for the tournament opener. Head coach Gautam Gambhir-led management is unlikely to keep Ishan Kishan out of the team, as his impressive form is hard to ignore.

Additionally, there is unlikely to be any immediate changes in the opening combination, with Sanju Samson expected to wait for an opportunity as the tournament progresses or in case of an injury or dip in form.