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Veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has weighed in on Sanju Samson’s recent form, dismissing the idea that pressure should excuse the wicketkeeper-batter’s string of poor performances. Chahal's remarks came after Samson's another disappointing outing in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, a failure that has intensified the scrutiny surrounding his role in India’s strategy for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Yuzvendra Chahal on Sanju Samson's lacklustre form
Chahal was candid in his assessment, noting that with over a decade of experience in the international arena, Samson should possess the maturity to navigate high-stakes scenarios. According to Chahal, the current series provided a golden opportunity for Samson to solidify his position, but the lack of substantial scores is becoming harder to ignore. He concluded that at this level, repeated inconsistencies cannot be justified as mere mental pressure, especially for a seasoned campaigner.
"Sanju Samson has played for many years. He started in the IPL middle-order, then became an opener. After playing international cricket for 10-12 years, pressure shouldn't be an excuse. He has had four chances in this series. I can accept failure in one or two matches, but not in three or four. He knows someone like Ishan Kishan, who is the backup and is batting well at number three, is waiting. Sanju will blame himself. He had four opportunities but could not make them count," Chahal said on JioStar.
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If they feel Sanju is struggling, the right call would be to let Ishan take his spot: Chahal
Despite his direct critique, the leg-spinner cautioned against making any impulsive changes to the squad. He reminded stakeholders and fans alike that the twenty-team tournament is not immediately on the horizon, providing the team management with a sufficient window to evaluate their options carefully.
Instead of reacting to individual failures with panic, Chahal advocated for a more measured approach. He suggested that all personnel decisions should be anchored in a long-term vision for the team, ensuring that the eventual World Cup squad is built on sustained performance rather than reactionary adjustments.
"However, there's no need to feel too bad because the T20 World Cup is still far. There's one more match against New Zealand. It now depends on the team management's thinking. If they feel Sanju is struggling as an opener and Ishan is doing well at number three, then the right call would be to make Sanju sit out and let Ishan Kishan take his spot as the opener and wicketkeeper in the final T20I," he added.
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The wicketkeeper-batter’s struggles continued in the fourth T20I, where he failed to capitalize on a brisk start, falling for 24 off 15 balls to Mitchell Santner. This inability to convert promising cameos into match-winning scores has become a concerning trend for the Trivandrum-born player. Over his last five T20I innings, his highest contribution was a modest 37 against South Africa, while his broader statistics paint an even more difficult picture: just 262 runs across his last 15 outings at a disappointing average of 17.46.
This lean patch, which has yielded only 40 runs throughout the current New Zealand series, has placed the 31-year-old’s spot in jeopardy. The pressure is amplified by the consistent form of Ishan Kishan, who has looked reliable at the number three position. As the team management moves closer to finalizing the core squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, the margin for error has narrowed significantly for those failing to produce consistent results.
The competition for the stumper-batter role remains fluid, however, as Ishan Kishan sat out the fourth match due to a minor injury. His status for the series finale, set to take place at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on January 31, is still up in the air.
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