Right now, fighting for a spot on India’s cricket squad feels tougher than ever before – particularly when it comes to T20 matches. When the team headed into the 2026 T20 World Cup, Ishan Kishan found his way back into the group, though Shubman Gill, serving as deputy leader in that format, didn’t make the cut. Sanju Samson showed up without strong performances behind him. At one point during the event, he vanished from the starting lineup; Ishan Kishan stepped in to open the batting with Abhishek Sharma. Lately, Samson shared thoughts about what it’s like battling for that top-order position in the tournament.
Out of nowhere, Samson spoke up – quiet guy, really, not known for big speeches – and said Ishan Kishan’s runs in local matches had him glancing over his shoulder. That kind of form doesn’t whisper; it shouts. Every boundary hit back home felt like a nudge at the door. He didn’t say it loud, but the thought was there: someone’s knocking. Not panic, just awareness. A place earned is never truly safe. Kishan played like he belonged, and that changes things. Silence from Samson before, now a hint of tension lingers. One man’s consistency becomes another’s quiet alarm.
“Honestly, Ishan Kishan came into the squad out of nowhere. He had a great Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he won the championship for Jharkhand and he has also had a great story, boss,” Samson said on the CSK podcast with Abhinav Mukund.
“We only look at ourselves, right? I think I have worked day in and day out, but lately I felt like Ishan had also done the same. After what happened to him for the last two years – he was out of the system – he worked so hard in domestic cricket and worked his way back. He had started scoring runs and I can admit it on camera that I could feel he was coming for my spot,” Samson added.
Truth be told, Samson once said Ishan played so well that he thought the left-hander should take his place. The idea came to him clear, no hesitation.
” In Trivandrum, when he scored that hundred, I was like, ‘Sanju, now you just give it to him, boss. He deserves it more than you do. You got your chances, you didn’t score runs, but there is someone who is in tremendous form.’ He came out of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, did everything right to reach there and then scored a century just before the World Cup started. So now I think, ‘Sanju, you just leave it,’” Samson said.
Samson opened the batting, while Ishan held the middle order steady – Abhishek finished strong. Each cleared fifty runs when it mattered most. Victory came versus New Zealand, a moment sealed under bright lights. This win marked India’s third championship triumph ever recorded.
