T20 World Cup 2026: Former India star backs Sanju Samson despite poor form

With the 2026 T20 World Cup on the horizon, former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has thrown his weight behind Sanju Samson, urging the team management to show patience with the struggling opener despite his poor returns in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand.

Samson’s difficult phase continued in the Guwahati T20I, where he was dismissed for a golden duck, taking his tally to just 16 runs from three matches in 2026. The lack of runs has raised questions around his place at the top of the order, but Rahane feels this is precisely the moment when leadership backing can make a difference.

In a recent interaction, Rahane said Samson remains a high-quality player who only needs reassurance and self-belief to rediscover his rhythm. According to him, short-format cricket often makes dismissals look worse than they are, and that shouldn’t shake a batter’s confidence.

Rahane also cautioned against drawing comparisons between Samson and the red-hot Abhishek Sharma, who has been tearing apart bowling attacks at the top. Abhishek once again stole the show with a lightning-fast half-century off just 14 balls, helping India cruise to an eight-wicket victory and clinch the series.

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“Sanju and Abhishek are very different players,” Rahane explained, adding that Samson should focus on his own strengths rather than trying to mirror anyone else’s approach. He advised Samson to look back at his best knocks for Rajasthan Royals and play with the same freedom and clarity.

Rahane emphasised that Samson doesn’t need a huge score to regain confidence. Even brief but meaningful contributions — such as a 25 off 15 balls or a 30 off 20 — can help a batter settle in, provided he survives the initial overs and builds from there.

Despite India sealing the series, Samson’s numbers remain under scrutiny. He has scored only 104 runs in his last nine innings as an opener, averaging 11.55, though his strike rate of 133.33 suggests intent hasn’t been the issue.