There has been immense speculation surrounding Sanju Samson opening the innings for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. It has been confirmed that Ishan Kishan will be part of the XI, but there has been nothing confirmed on the exclusion of opening wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson.
India have continuously won matches in the shortest format of the game, and have lost only 7 games out of the last 41 matches they have played under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership. However, India have constantly been making changes to their final playing XI, especially in their opening pair.
While Shubman Gill was tried in the majority of these games alongside Abhishek Sharma, the batter failed to be promising in the innings he played. Hence, Sanju Samson was recalled for the role; however, he too could just manage 52 runs across the 5 matches he played as an opener in the New Zealand T20I series.
Ishan Kishan to replace Sanju Samson for the ICC T20 World Cup
Sanju Samson was Rohit Sharma’s replacement after the Indian veteran announced his retirement post the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Samson played some convincing knocks, which also included the centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa in 2024. He became the first player to score three centuries in a calendar year in international T20s.
However, Samson saw a partial dip in form but was mainly dropped from the opening slot in the T20I team due to Shubman Gill’s return following a successful season in the IPL and a stunning breakthrough as India’s Test captain in England. Gill played 15 matches as an opener, which included the Asia Cup games, the Australia and South Africa series, but could manage just 291 runs without a single half-century.
Ishan Kishan was picked as a backup wicket-keeper against Samson. Ishan played in the NZ series and was blistering with the bat. He scored a century and a half-century with a strike rate of over 200. He was also India’s second-highest run-getter in the series.
Suryakumar Yadav praises Ishan Kishan for great form, reveals batting position
Captain Suryakumar Yadav will be leading the Indian team for the first time in an ICC tournament. The 2026 ICC T20 World Cup captain for India finally arrived for the press conference ahead of the start of their campaign against the USA on the 7th of February.
The Indian captain has now praised the left-handed batter Ishan Kishan, who has been in tremendous form, and some of his most effective innings were alongside the skipper himself. Kishan’s form has not only been promising for India but also in the domestic competitions in India.
Ishan Kishan was picked after being the highest scorer for Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where his team also won the title. He then played some blistering knocks in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well.
“Ishan Kishan has been tremendous. Not only for India now but the way he played domestically—he has carried forward that confidence. He’ll do well in the tournament,” said Suryakumar Yadav.
“Ishan Kishan will definitely play in top three, I hope he does well whenever he gets an opportunity,” Suryakumar Yadav added.
Ishan Kishan will definitely play in top three, i hope he does well whenever he gets an opportunity, says captain Suryakumar Yadav
— Amol Karhadkar (@karhacter) February 6, 2026
Harshit Rana’s injury is the new big concern for Team India
Harshit Rana has struggled with an injury during the game against South Africa. Harshit Rana bowled just one over in the warm-up game against South Africa, giving away 16 runs and could not return for another over in the game.
However, Suryakumar has updated that he is not ruled out, but the physios are looking at him. However, they also confirmed that his return is not on track. However, Suryakumar suggested that their XI is finalised, and it’s not necessary that he has to bat.
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