Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan? Who should open for India in T20 World Cup 2026?

Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the two keeper-batters in Indian squad for T20 World Cup 2026.

The countdown for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has already begun as the tournament is all set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. Indian Cricket Team, the defending champions, were the first team to announce their squad for the campaign.

The Men-in-Blue named two wicket-keepers in their squad- Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. While Samson has been a regular member of the T20I side for the last few years, Kishan made a comeback to the national team after two years following his incredible performance in the domestic circuit.

Notably, both Samson and Kishan bring in same quality as openers and have a lot of experience at the top. Hence, it will be a big dilemma for India to decide who between them should take the opening slot in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan? Who should open for India in T20 World Cup 2026?

Advantages of Sanju Samson as opener

For the last few years, Sanju Samson has been a permanent wicket-keeper batsman for India in T20Is. He also impressed with his three centuries in 2024 as an opener, showing his mettle at the top order. Last year, he was demoted with Shubman Gill taking the opening spot with Abhishek Sharma.

However, with Gill’s struggles in the shortest format, the decision was overturned and Samson was given his opening slot back ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand. Samson (55 games) has far more experience than Kishan (35 games) in T20I cricket. While Samson has scored three centuries, Kishan is yet to smack his maiden ton.

Advantages of Ishan Kishan as opener

At the moment, Ishan Kishan owns a better form than Samson. He hammered a quickfire half-century in the second T20I against New Zealand, setting the platform for India’s easy victory in the mammoth chase. The left-handed batter also scripted the record for the fastest fifty by an Indian player against the Black Caps. In third T20I, where Samson bagged a golden duck, he hit 28 runs in 13 balls.

Moreover, Kishan has a lot of experience as an opener in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025, he finished as the highest run-scorer while playing as an opener for Jharkhand. With his batting heroics, he also led his team to the title.

Who deserves the opener’s slot for T20 World Cup 2026?

Although Kishan has shown a better form in recent times, Samson should be preferred as an opener by India in the T20 World Cup 2026. Since Abhishek is a left-handed batter, playing Samson as the other opener will provide the team with a left-right combination at the top. This will enable them to trouble opposition bowlers.

Moreover, Samson also has a better batting average and strike rate than Kishan in the opening position. Also, removing Samson as opener last year did not work out for him as well as the team. Hence, utilising the same strategy would not be a logical decision just ahead of the ICC tournament.

Additionally, Kishan has been out of the national team for a long time and giving him the opener’s responsibility just after his comeback would be a risky call.

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