IND vs SA: Why did Sanju Samson miss T20 World Cup 2026 match 43?
(Courtesy : BCCI)
Sanju Samson has only played one game in the T20 World Cup 2026.
India and South Africa are locking horns in their first game of the Super 8 round. The IND vs SA is the 43rd game of the T20 World Cup 2026, taking place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India were unbeaten in the league stage, having won four games in a row. The Men-in-Blue crushed USA and Namibia in their first two matches, followed by victories against Pakistan and the Netherlands. With eight points, they stole the top spot in the Group A points table.
South Africa were placed in Group C in the league stage and topped their pool with eight points. They outplayed Canada and Afghanistan in their first two matches and later defeated New Zealand and the UAE. Except for the clash against Afghanistan, they won all of their games by huge margins.
In the IND vs SA Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bat first. They made four changes to the playing XI, bringing back all the key members who were rested in the previous dead-rubber game. India did not make any changes to the playing XI, so Sanju Samson could not make a comeback.
Why is Sanju Samson not playing against South Africa?
Notably, Sanju Samson has been overlooked for the clash against South Africa despite opener Abhishek Sharma’s poor form. So far, Abhishek scored zero runs in the tournament, getting out for ducks in three matches.
Moreover, Tilak Varma failed to score big runs, and there were rumours that Samson would be preferred over him. However, this did not happen.
Samson played in Abhishek’s absence in the second game against Namibia, but could not make a mark. He got out for 22 runs off eight deliveries within the powerplay.
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
South Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
What is the venue of the IND vs SA Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026?
The venue of the IND vs SA Super 8 match is Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Is Sanju Samson part of India’s playing XI vs South Africa?
No, Sanju Samson is not part of India’s playing XI against South Africa.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.