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Sanju Samson Unlikely To Play Against USA: Ishan Kishan has played explosive innings since his return to the T20 team, while Sanju Samson has been a continuous flop. In the South Africa warm-up match, Ishaan scored 53 runs in 20 balls, Sanju Samson was not given a chance to play. From this it has become clear that he probably will not get a chance in the playing eleven in this tournament.
It is difficult for Sanju Samson to be selected in the playing eleven.
New Delhi. Sanju Samson was India’s first choice wicketkeeper batsman in the T20 series against New Zealand last month but everything has changed after just 5 matches. He did not bat in the warm-up match against South Africa on Wednesday (4 February). Ishan Kishan started the innings in place of Samson and played a explosive inning of 53 runs in just 20 balls. This left-handed batsman from Jharkhand hit 2 fours and 7 sixes and batted at a strike rate of 265.00. From this it has become clear that Sanju’s poor form has got him out of the playing eleven.
When South Africa set out to chase the target of 241 runs, Ishan Kishan kept wickets. Even after flopping in batting in the last T20 against New Zealand, the responsibility of wicketkeeper was taken from Sanju in the middle of the match. In the only warm-up match of India’s T20 World Cup 2026, Ishaan did the opening as well as wicket-keeping, making it almost clear that Ishaan will get a chance in the playing eleven in place of Samson in the first match of the World Cup to be held against America on 7th February in Mumbai.
Last month, Samson got five chances to cement his place in India’s playing eleven for the T20 World Cup 2026 matches against New Zealand. He could score only 10, 6, 0, 24 and 6 runs. Ishan Kishan, who was returning to the team after two years, played innings of 8, 76, 28, 103. In the second T20, Ishaan scored 76 runs in just 32 balls and in the fifth match he scored a century in 42 balls. Even in the warm-up match, he continued his form and scored 53 runs in 20 balls.
The India-South Africa warm-up match was an audition for some players. From this it has become clear that Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav will not get a place in the playing eleven in the match against America. Harshit bowled only one over against South Africa and gave 16 runs, while Kuldeep gave 25 runs in two overs and did not take any wicket.
India’s probable playing eleven:
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dubey, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakraborty.
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