Debate for Samson or Kishan rages on ahead of the 4th T20i with the tussle is set to continue through the last two T20Is.
Samson vs Kishan debate heats up with series in India’s pocket.
Ishan Kishan was meant to be Sanju Samson’s backup when India’s T20 World Cup team was revealed. He hadn’t participated in a Twenty20 International since 2023, and the selectors’ last-minute decision to alter the team lineup was the only reason he was chosen.
Since then, a lot has changed. Kishan seized the opportunity to bat at No. 3 against New Zealand due to Tilak Varma’s unusual injury, slamming 76 off 32 balls in the second T20I and 28 off 13 in the third. After Samson scored 10, 6, and 0 in the first three Twenty20 Internationals, the question of whether Kishan should take Samson’s place in the starting lineup when Tilak returns has started.
If Kishan was made possible by Tilak’s injury, Samson has been given a lifeline by the delay in his recuperation. He will probably have two more opportunities to make his case after returning to the opening position after training for a middle-order role in between.
Despite losing the series, many of New Zealand’s starting players have been sidelined. Tim Robinson and Kristian Clarke, who are not in the World Cup roster, have been released, and James Neesham and Lockie Ferguson have now joined the team. However, Finn Allen won’t arrive until before Thiruvananthapuram’s final Twenty20 International.