By Admin 
Before the T20 World Cup 2026, the balance of the Indian team seems to be changing rapidly. Till some time back, the players whose place in the team’s playing eleven were considered almost certain, now seem to be lagging behind in the race for selection. Something similar has happened with wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson, whose place now seems to be in danger.
New Zealand did not show reliable performance in the series
Sanju Samson was given continuous opportunities in the T20 series played against New Zealand. The team management tried him as the first choice wicketkeeper, but he could not live up to the expectations with the bat. He could score only 46 runs in five matches. His runs were very ordinary, due to which the team could not get a fast start and stability in the middle order. This deficiency in a format like T20 directly weakens the player’s claim.
Ishan Kishan’s strong comeback
On the other hand, Ishan Kishan showed his impact as soon as he returned to the team after a long time. By batting aggressively, he proved that he has the ability to change the course of the match in big tournaments. In the series against New Zealand, he scored aggressive innings of 8, 76, 28, 103 runs. Confidence was clearly visible in his innings, which caught the attention of the selectors and forced them to rethink the team combination.
Warm-up match changed the equation
The warm-up match of the T20 World Cup against South Africa also made the picture almost clear. In this match, Sanju Samson was not given a chance to bat, while Ishan Kishan took the responsibility as an opener. He gave a strong start to the team by scoring 53 runs in 20 balls. Besides, the responsibility of wicket-keeping was also handed over to him, which shows the confidence of the team management.
Impact on the playing XI of the first match
After these incidents, it is believed that Ishan Kishan may get priority in India’s first match to be held on 7th February. It is no longer easy for Sanju Samson to make a place in the playing eleven, unless the team needs some changes.
The warm-up match also brought signals for some other players. Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Singh failed to make an impact in bowling, due to which questions have been raised about their playing in the initial matches. It is clear from this that the team is now taking decisions not just on the basis of name but on the basis of current form.
India’s probable playing 11