India ticked most, if not all, boxes in the home T20I series against New Zealand, with the emphatic 4-1 victory further cementing their status as the strongest contenders for the upcoming World Cup. However, the series also left the team management with a significant selection headache: whether to persist with the under-fire Sanju Samson or move on and back the in-form Ishan Kishan in a high-stakes tournament. While captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to defer the decision, India legend Sunil Gavaskar made his stance in the debate clear.
After being collateral damage in India’s Shubman Gill experiment, where Samson was pushed down the order before being dropped altogether, the selectors reinstated him as an opener ahead of the T20 World Cup. But the wicketkeeper-batter endured a forgettable series against New Zealand, managing just 46 runs across five innings, which inevitably raised concerns over his form.
Matters worsened for Samson with Ishan Kishan, who made a surprise return to the World Cup reckoning, delivering a blistering series against the Black Caps. Batting at No. 3, the left-hander piled on 215 runs in four innings, including a fifty and a century.
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The hundred came in Trivandrum, Samson’s home ground, in the fifth and final T20I, and Gavaskar believes that knock has made it increasingly difficult to leave Ishan out of the playing XI. The former India captain argued that with Samson struggling for form, failing to cross 25 in any of his innings and not once batting beyond the powerplay, Ishan deserves to open for India at the World Cup.
{{/usCountry}}The hundred came in Trivandrum, Samson’s home ground, in the fifth and final T20I, and Gavaskar believes that knock has made it increasingly difficult to leave Ishan out of the playing XI. The former India captain argued that with Samson struggling for form, failing to cross 25 in any of his innings and not once batting beyond the powerplay, Ishan deserves to open for India at the World Cup.
{{/usCountry}}“It’s very difficult to drop him. And drop him for whom? Tilak Varma is a proven performer at this level. Sanju Samson is also a proven performer, but he’s not in form. This has nothing to do with ability or temperament, sometimes form deserts you,” Gavaskar told the broadcaster.
“In a big tournament like the World Cup, you can’t take chances. He’s had all five matches, his highest score is 24, and he’s been getting out in odd ways. That shows a lack of confidence. Unless Tilak Varma isn’t fit, I can’t see Sanju being part of the XI on February 7.”
Ishan’s opportunity in the series arose only because Tilak Varma was sidelined with injury. The India No. 3 has been out of action for nearly a month following testicular surgery after picking up the injury during the Ranji Trophy earlier in January. However, Tilak is expected to return for the World Cup following two warm-up games, leaving India with a crucial call to make at the top of the order.
Suryakumar was quizzed on the selection dilemma after the fifth T20I, but the captain remained non-committal.
“We don’t know anything about Tilak Varma right now. But we’ve been told he’s looking good and has started batting. If he comes back, it will definitely be a good headache to have. With all 15 of us, it’s a good headache — all players are capable of getting into the playing XI. You’ll definitely get to know on the 7th if Ishan is,” he said.
India will begin their World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.