With India’s T20 setup demanding immediate impact, Sanju Samson’s modest returns contrast sharply with Ishan Kishan’s aggression, making the Vizag T20I a potential turning point for his World Cup hopes.
There are phases in a cricketer’s career where numbers don’t scream failure, yet silence around them feels uncomfortable. Sanju Samson is standing right in that phase. India have already wrapped up the series, the spotlight is softer, and the pressure seems low. But for Samson, the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam might be louder than any must-win game.
Struggle Is There, But NO Numbers
Sanju Samson’s challenge right now isn’t hidden in a bad-looking scorecard, but it’s visible in the struggle behind those numbers. Yes, 238 runs in 14 T20Is with a fifty looks passable on paper, but watch closely and you’ll see an innings searching for momentum. The starts are there, the shots are there, but the takeover moment isn’t. In an Indian side playing at screaming speed, that hesitation stands out. It’s not failure, it’s variance, a batter trying to sync his game with a format that now demands instant dominance rather than gradual control.
The Pressure of Competition
India aren’t experimenting anymore. What seems to be happening now is that they’re settling into combinations. With a home T20 World Cup coming up, selectors want players who force their way in, not those who look good when others are rested.
That’s where the comparison with Ishan Kishan becomes unavoidable. Kishan’s game is simpler, i.e., attack early, maintain a high tempo, and accept the risk. That approach fits perfectly with what India want right now. Samson, meanwhile, often looks like he’s one step behind the plan.
Visakhapatnam adds a quiet layer of symbolism. There’s no series pressure, no chaos, just clarity. Samson doesn’t need a classy 40 or a careful innings. He needs one statement knock. Something bold. Something that matches India’s direction.
If that innings doesn’t arrive soon, this match may not be remembered as a missed chance. It may be remembered as the moment the conversation moved on.
Ishan Kishan lost the BCCI contract some time back. He took a break for mental stability, played domestics again, and with impressive knocks, he made his way out in the Indian lineup again, which shows his eagerness.
As of now, selectors will be under tons of pressure and uncertainity wheather to go with the trusted horse Sanju Samson or the promising gun player Ishan Kishan, and these two remaining matches of the series are the only testing fields for them.
| Player | Mat | Ings | Runs | HS | Avg | Balls Faced | SR | 50s | Ducks | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ishan Kishan | 3 | 3 | 112 | 76 | 37.33 | 50 | 224.00 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| Sanju Samson | 3 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 5.33 | 13 | 123.07 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
This comparison of their forms in this series clearly tells the difference. It shows:
- Impact difference: Kishan has faced almost 4x more balls and scored 7x more runs.
- Strike rate gap: 224 vs 123- this alone explains why the debate feels one-sided right now.
- Boundary intent: Kishan is finding boundaries almost every 3 balls; Samson rarely has the time to.
- Consistency: One fifty vs a duck tells its own story.
