Sanju Samson should be dropped from the opening slot, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra clearly stated in his YouTube video. He strongly opined that the Indian team management showed enough support to Sanju Samson, which he failed to justify.
In one of his latest videos, Chopra was discussing the best probable opening pair for Team India in the T20 World Cup 2026, starting from February 7. Team India, the defending champion, will be the hot favourite to claim the title again. To protect their silverware, the men in blue will have to perform according to the expectations.
Aakash Chopra closed down the Ishan Kishan vs Sanju Samson debate
The former cricketer said that he has no double mind to choose Ishan Kishan over Sanju Samson for the opening slot. Ishan performed extremely well against New Zealand in the recently concluded 5-match T20I series, while Sanju Samson, despite playing every match of the series, did not take off.
Chopra prioritises recent form over emotions to shape the best possible opening pair. Abhishek Sharma has been doing well; he will definitely open the innings, but with whom? That was the question he was asked.
“I think Ishan Kishan with Abhishek Sharma. That story is now set in stone. I don’t think there is any scope for a change there, and it shouldn’t be there either, because Ishan Kishan has played very well. You feel sad for Sanju for sure, but the truth is that he has wasted his opportunities,” the former opener opined in a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra.’
Why should Ishan open with Abhishek Sharma?
Chopra did not raise any question over Samson’s credentials as an opener; he highlighted the true fact that the experienced batter is out of form. The former cricketer stated that the team is always ahead of any individual player. So, he did not hesitate to name Ishan Kishan in place of Sanju Samson for the opening position in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“Two things can happen. Either you wait for Sanju’s good day, or you say play the one whose days are going well. I will go with playing the one whose days are going well because Sanju and Ishan are not important for me. India is important for me, and for India, it’s important that informed players play. So Ishan Kishan with Abhishek Sharma,” he said this in support of his choice.
Recent stats of Ishan and Sanju
If we take a look at the stats of Ishan and Sanju, then it will be easy to understand why Aakash Chopra prefers the Jharkhand-born. In 4 matches against New Zealand, Kishan smashed 215 runs at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18. He registered a match-winning century as well against the Kiwis.
In contrast, Samson played all 5 matches of the bilateral contest only to score 46 runs at a better-to-forget average of 9.20 and a strike rate of 135.29.
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