When Gautam Gambhir took charge as head coach, he made it clear that past reputation would not dictate selection. Shubman Gill’s omission from the T20 World Cup squad was the first clear signal of that shift. Now, Sanju Samson finds himself facing the same hard reality after another underwhelming outing in the series against New Zealand.
Samson’s returns have steadily declined. Scores of 10 and 6 in the first two matches were followed by a golden duck in the third T20I, even as India wrapped up the series with a dominant eight-wicket victory. The result itself was never in doubt, with India cruising home on the back of a disciplined bowling effort and commanding half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav, who chased down the below-par target of 154 inside 10 overs.
With the 2026 T20 World Cup less than a fortnight away, the ongoing series against New Zealand is being treated as a final audition to lock in roles. In that context, Ishan Kishan’s explosive displays in Raipur and Guwahati have only sharpened the focus on Samson, whose returns at the top of the order have failed to convince.
Since being backed as India’s preferred opener for the World Cup, Samson has failed to deliver a defining innings. His highest score in the last four matches remains 37 off 22 balls against South Africa in Ahmedabad. The lack of consistency has revived a familiar narrative around his career—that his output tends to dip when responsibility increases.
The pressure on Samson is only set to intensify, with Tilak Varma likely to return for the fourth and fifth T20Is, subject to fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence.
Samson’s continued struggles, however, did little to slow India down in the third match. Abhishek Sharma carried on in his fearless style, racing to a 14-ball half-century before shifting gears to finish the chase alongside Suryakumar, who notched up his second successive fifty.
Kishan set the tone early yet again, smashing a 13-ball 28 and adding 53 runs for the second wicket with Abhishek to all but end New Zealand’s hopes inside the powerplay. With the dew making conditions easier for batting, Abhishek (68 not out off 20 balls) and Suryakumar (57 not out off 26 balls) ensured the bowlers never found a way back, brushing aside the early losses of Samson and Kishan to seal the win in emphatic fashion.
Earlier in the evening, India’s tactical calls with the ball paid off handsomely once more. Holding Jasprit Bumrah back for the final over of the powerplay proved decisive. New Zealand, already 34 for two after five overs, lost a third wicket off the very first ball of Bumrah’s spell.
Harshit Rana struck early in the opening over, with Hardik Pandya pulling off a stunning catch to send Devon Conway back for 1. Pandya then turned up to bowl the second over and struck again, removing Rachin Ravindra for 4.
New Zealand found brief stability through a 52-run stand between Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman. Chapman looked in good touch during his 23-ball 32, peppering the boundary, but Ravi Bishnoi, playing his first match in over a year, broke the partnership at a crucial moment.
Pandya returned for a second spell to dismiss Daryl Mitchell, and New Zealand slid to 112 for five by the 15th over. Bishnoi struck again soon after, removing Phillips just two runs short of a half-century, with Pandya once again involved in the catch at deep midwicket.
Skipper Mitchell Santner tried to inject some late momentum, but Bumrah shut the door with a decisive 18th over, picking up Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry. He returned to cap off a fine spell by dismissing Santner in the final over, as New Zealand limped to 153 for nine—never truly threatening a contest India had controlled from start to finish.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand 153/9 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 48, Mark Chapman 32; Jasprit Bumrah 3/17, Ravi Bishnoi 2/18) lost to India 155/2 in 10 overs (Abhishek Sharma 68* off 20 balls, Suryakumar Yadav 57* off 26 balls, Ishan Kishan 28; Matt Henry 1/28) by 8 wickets.