Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, Team India is looking in good shape while competing against a strong New Zealand side. New Zealand managed to win the fourth of the 5-match T20I series, though the lead remains with the home team.
India will enter into the last match of the bilateral series with a 3-1 lead. Despite the dominating run, the Indian team management has been working on some issues to maintain a good shape before the T20 World Cup, starting on February 7, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Sanju Samson’s run drought remains a concern
India will be the hot favourite to win the tournament. To keep the spirit and momentum on a high note, the management wants to tick all the boxes. For now, the run drought of Sanju Samson has caused some headaches for the team.
Ahead of the India vs New Zealand 5th T20I at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Team India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed that the management has been supporting Sanju Samson, but so far, the keeper-batter has yet to deliver.
In the ongoing series, Samson is dealing with a tough phase after his return to the top of the order, scoring only 40 runs in the last four matches at an average of 10 and a strike rate of 142.86.
“Sanju Samson is a senior player. Probably he hasn’t scored as many runs as he should have. Our job is to keep him in a good space. We all know what he is capable of,” the batting coach said during the pre-match press conference.
Ishan Kishan’s form put pressure on Sanju Samson
Samson’s bat speed and footwork were criticised for the repeated early dismissals against the New Zealand pacers. The batter went to play shots early in the match, before getting accustomed to the circumstances; as a result, he fell short again and again.
Samson was under pressure as Ishan Kishan, another keeper-batter in the setup, was in sublime form before getting dropped from the playing combination in the fourth match because of a niggle.
The injury to Kishan did not look serious, as the southpaw was spotted on the sideline during the match, as energetic as before. Kotak hopes that he can play the upcoming match, but the ultimate decision will be made by the physio.
“Kishan will likely play. Physio will take the call,” he confirmed”, Kotak mentioned.
Abhishek is a clever player – India coach
Apart from Sanju Samson’s poor form, there are multiple positive notes for the team as well. The way Abhishek Sharma has been performing is outstanding. Kotak informed the opener continually in an effort to improve his batting further.
To make his performance more polished, he often talked to the skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, who also bounced back from a long-standing bad patch.
“Abhishek is a clever player. In the second game, he got caught out at deep square leg. In the next game, he was prepared for that. He does talk to Surya; he is open,” Kotak added.
Read More: Pakistan announce final verdict on T20 World Cup 2026 participation, but there’s a twist
