Sanju Samson’s inconsistency is once again putting his place in the Indian team under serious pressure. He had received the backing of the management, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi expected to wait for his opportunity. But India made a significant move in the fourth T20I against New Zealand that raises a clear question: are they now preparing to leave Samson out?
Before looking at that decision, we need to understand why Samson’s performances have become a concern—and why keeping Vaibhav on the bench is becoming harder to justify.
Sanju Samson’s Inconsistency Is Becoming a Problem
Since the T20 World Cup, Samson’s stronger performances have largely come against Afghanistan and West Indies on flat batting surfaces. His struggles against England and Ireland, followed by a disappointing Asian Games campaign, raised questions about his reliability.
The New Zealand series has brought the same concern back. Samson began with an impressive 67 off 33 balls, but followed it with scores of 14, 18 and 4.
That is three consecutive low scores after a strong start. These have also been conditions in which batters have had plenty of opportunities to score heavily.
The concern is that one good innings is repeatedly followed by several failures. With a talented alternative waiting, Samson cannot expect his place to remain secure indefinitely.
Why Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Still the One Making Way?
Vaibhav scored 45 off just 19 balls in the third T20I and shared a 133-run opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma. Their explosive start helped India produce a record 118-run powerplay.
Yet when Ishan Kishan returned for the fourth match, Vaibhav was the player left out.
That is difficult to justify purely on recent performance. Vaibhav had just delivered the kind of aggressive opening innings India want, attacking immediately and putting New Zealand’s bowlers under pressure.
His case goes beyond one match. He was Player of the Series in Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs across three innings. On surfaces where the ball did not always come onto the bat cleanly, he showed the ability to adjust and still produce important runs.
His early England assignment came with the pressure of establishing himself at international level. Since then, he has repeatedly strengthened his claim whenever opportunities have arrived.
How long should a performing young batter keep waiting while an established player continues to struggle?
Ishan Kishan Taking the Gloves Is the Big Signal
The most important move in the fourth T20I was that Ishan Kishan kept wickets instead of Samson.
Ishan was returning from injury, yet India immediately gave him the gloves. That makes the decision particularly significant in the selection battle.
Our reading is straightforward: India are preparing a combination in which Ishan can handle the wicketkeeping, allowing the management to assess Samson entirely on his batting.
Once Ishan takes care of that role, Samson’s presence is no longer necessary to maintain the balance of the XI. India can bring Vaibhav back alongside Abhishek without losing their wicketkeeper.
The captain and coach have therefore opened a clear route to changing the batting combination. Samson now has to produce runs to protect his position.
Why This Move Feels Familiar
There is a familiar element to this situation. Before the 2026 T20 World Cup, Ishan also took the gloves ahead of Samson in the final T20I against New Zealand.
That earlier decision showed India were comfortable using Ishan as their wicketkeeper even when Samson was in the same XI.
The significance now is the flexibility it gives the management. They can retain Ishan behind the stumps and change the specialist batting position without disrupting the keeping arrangement.
With Samson struggling and Vaibhav pushing for a longer run, that flexibility matters.
Vaibhav Deserves a Proper Run
It is frustrating to watch a batter as talented as Samson fail to deliver consistently, especially on surfaces offering good scoring opportunities. His ability is clear, but talent must turn into regular contributions.
Vaibhav has shown he can attack on batting-friendly pitches and adjust when the surface is slower or two-paced. There are still questions about how he will cope with sustained pace and bounce, and those need to be tested through opportunities.
That is exactly why he deserves a proper run. Repeatedly bringing him in and dropping him after a strong performance does little to establish what he can offer over a series.
If Samson’s low scores continue, India have a clear option: Ishan keeps wickets, Vaibhav returns to the top order, and Samson makes way. The management must now decide how much longer backing Samson should come at the cost of giving Vaibhav that opportunity.
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