Sanju Samson scored just six runs in his latest match against New Zealand on January 31, marking his fifth low score of the series. This was his first International game in Thiruvananthapuram, but he struggled to find his rhythm during his six balls at the crease. While some fans cheered for his efforts, silence fell over the crowd when he got out, leaving many in disbelief.
Samson aimed for the leg side but ended up edging the ball to deep third man, where Jacobs Duffy took an easy catch. His tendency to move around the crease caused problems again, as he faced a 146 km/h delivery from pacer Lockie Ferguson.
In the previous four matches, Samson scored 10, 6, 0, and 24. He may be sidelined for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, especially since Ishan Kishan has been performing well and can both keep wickets and open the innings. Samson’s lack of consistency in the shortest format has likely led to his potential exclusion.
In his 57 T20 International matches, he has scored 1,078 runs at an average of 23.95 and a strike rate of 147.46, including three hundreds and three fifties.
