Few Indian batters embody modern T20 promise quite like Sanju Samson, and fewer frustrate quite like him, too. Blessed with timing that looks borrowed from a PlayStation demo and wrists that can dismantle spin at will, Samson has somehow remained a peripheral figure in India’s T20I story more than a decade after debuting.
Despite first pulling on India blues in 2015, the 31-year-old has played just 55 T20Is, a startling number in an era where careers are often defined by opportunity volume. The tease was real in late 2024: three centuries in five innings, a strike rate north of 180, and a sense that the long “what-if” chapter was finally closing.
Australia 2020: Opportunity Without Authority
Australia in December 2020 was supposed to be Samson’s soft launch into sustained international relevance. Instead, it became an early warning sign. Across three T20Is, he scored 48 runs at an average of 16, with dismissals that hinted at indecision rather than intimidation.
The common thread? Starts without control. A flashy 23 in Canberra promised acceleration, but mistimed strokes cover catches, long-off mishits, and full-toss errors suggested a batter playing at the pace rather than setting it. Australia didn’t out-think Samson; they simply waited.
England 2025: The Short-Ball Obsession
If Australia was uncertain, England in 2025 was déjà vu bordering on parody. Across five innings, Samson managed 51 runs at 10.20, repeatedly undone by pace and bounce. Jofra Archer alone dismissed him three times, each eerily similar.
What made this series alarming wasn’t the failure, but the lack of adaptation. Pull shots without base, hooks without depth, and an apparent refusal to explore softer options square of the wicket. When Saqib Mahmood and Mark Wood joined the act, it became clear: teams had found a repeatable flaw, and Samson wasn’t closing it fast enough.
New Zealand 2026: Pressure Without Protection
The home series against New Zealand was meant to be a reset. Shubman Gill dropped, Samson restored as opener, clarity at last. Instead, it exposed how fragile confidence can be at the international level.
16 runs in three innings, average 5.33. Slot balls mistimed, wobble seam misread, and a golden duck while trying to flick ball one under visible pressure. This wasn’t reckless cricket; it was tight, suffocating cricket, played by someone acutely aware that chances were running out.
Sanju Samson’s T20I Career by Phases
Period | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | High Score | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020–2023 | 20 | 355 | 19.72 | 138.67 | 77 | 0 | 1 |
2024 | 12 | 436 | 43.60 | 180.16 | 111 | 3 | 1 |
2025–Present | 14 | 238 | 17.00 | 126.59 | 56 | 0 | 1 |
The table tells a brutal truth: 2024 was the exception, not the trend.
Samson finds himself stuck within this same dilemma. Is Samson a fearless opening batsman? A No. 4 spinning attacking batman? Or a middle-order stabilizing Batman? Like Surya Kumar Yadav, who established a role-specific set of skills for the middle order, Samson still seems to be unsure whether he wants to take the risk and be free or if he will allow the fear of being replaced to keep him from establishing an identity as a player.
Key Takeaway
Sanju Samson’s issue isn’t form it’s the failure to evolve once opponents solve him.
FAQs
- What are the 3 instances defining Sanju Samson’s T20I struggles?
Australia 2020, England 2025, and New Zealand 2026 each marked by repeated dismissal patterns.
- Why is Samson’s inconsistency a concern before the 2026 T20 World Cup?
India needs role certainty and reliability; Samson offers flashes, not assurance.
- How can Samson revive his T20I career?
By locking a fixed role and adapting shot selection against pace and short bowling.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
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