Both Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are in contention for the opening spot for the mega-event starting February 7.
The Indians will have the perfect dressing room environment heading into the T20 World Cup 2026, having all bases covered. However, there would be good headaches in terms of a few positions, the most important of which would be the opening debate between Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson.
The debate sprung into life after the wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala failed to make an impression in any of the first three T20Is against New Zealand. Samson registered scores of 10, 6 & 0 in the three matches respectively. On the other hand, his teammate from Jharkhand played two jaw-dropping knocks, which contributed to the team’s victory.
With Tilak Varma being ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series, the Indian management and Suryakumar Yadav will certainly have a ‘Plan B’ at the back of their mind. That being said, who opens the batting with Abhishek Sharma would also be a point to consider.
After the BCCI announced the squads for the mega-event and the T20I series against New Zealand, it became very clear that the Blues were looking at Sanju Samson as the opener (with Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the side). But Samson has just not helped his case.
On the other hand, Ishan Kishan has been walking out at No.3, and is playing exactly the brand of cricket which the Indians want from their batters. In both the second and the third T20I, the youngster from Jharkhand has taken the attack to the opposition after India’s backs were against the wall early on in the innings.
In T20Is, Sanju Samson has scored 1,048 runs across 47 innings with an average of 24.37, which he would want to better. However, his strike-rate has been 147.6, which is good enough for an opener in the shortest format. But with the template that the Indians want to follow, we’re not really sure.
Ishan Kishan, on the other hand, has scored 908 runs across 35 innings striking at 131.59 with seven fifties to his name, as compared to three fifties and three hundreds by Samson. Though his average of 26.7 is slightly better, his T20I stats pretty much sail in the same boat as Samson.
So how do we ascertain the better choice for the Men in Blue to pair with Abhishek Sharma at the top, who is himself on a rampage.
For a tournament that is going to last just over a month, having players who are in good form is imminent. And for India, if form is going to be the factor – it is pretty clear that they would turn towards the wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand.
Ishan Kishan recently ran riot in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), leading Jharkhand to their maiden title. To add to that, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star has enjoyed a good run of form since the beginning of 2025.
Ishan Kishan boasts of a strike-rate of 180.69 in T20 cricket since January 2025, as compared to his overall T20 strike-rate of 139.22. His average also shoots up to 44.68, as compared to the 30.25 across his career.
On the other hand, Sanju Samson has not been very effective in T20 cricket over the last year, as his numbers suggest. In 29 innings, he has registered 756 runs at an average under 30, striking at 135. Most importantly, Samson does not look very comfortable against the moving ball, and will be a weak link for the Blues, considering his current form.
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Going with the in-form opener simply gives India a number of benefits, the most important of which will be the confidence to play fearless cricket. Additionally, it will open up a place in the middle-order, via which India can add a batter or even an all-rounder to add depth to their side.
Another factor to be considered would be the amount of left-handers in the top seven. Provided Tilak Varma makes to the squad for the World Cup (which he is expected to, on February 3), the Indians will have five left-handers in the top seven – something which teams can target with off-spin options. That being said, most of the left-handers in the Indian setup do know a thing or two about countering spin. Hence, that would not be an issue.
The point of going with Ishan Kishan as the opener over Sanju Samson would not at all be a matter of skill, but a matter of form, provided that Samson’s form continues to remain bleak in the upcoming two T20Is against New Zealand.
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