Will Sanju Samson play for IND vs ZIM in T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash? Indian assistant coach drops HUGE statement

Sanju Samson has played just one game for India in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

India suffered a huge 76-run defeat against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash, a loss that also impacted their net run rate. Batting first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, South Africa did not get the start they had hoped for, losing three wickets for just 20 runs. However, David Miller and Dewald Brevis steadied the innings with a crucial partnership.

Later, Tristan Stubbs provided an excellent finish, helping the team post a competitive total of 187.India had another disappointing start with the bat. They lost their first wicket without a run, and half of the side was back in the pavilion at just 51 runs. The batting lineup collapsed dramatically, and the team was all out for only 111 runs, handing South Africa a comfortable 76-run victory.This defeat has raised several questions for the Indian team. The batting order has not clicked the way they would have liked throughout the tournament. Before the tournament began, players like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma were in excellent form, and India were regularly posting totals of 200 or more, with contributions coming from almost every batter. However, so far in the World Cup, only a few batters have delivered.

Abhishek has registered three ducks in four matches and has scored just 15 runs in the tournament so far. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson, who replaced him in one game, managed to score 22 runs in that match. This has sparked debate among fans about whether Samson should be included in the playing XI in place of either Tilak or Abhishek.

Huge statement by India management on Sanju Samson ahead of IND vs ZIM clash in T20 World Cup 2026

Following the defeat, Indian team assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the media in a press conference. He admitted that the opening partnership has been a major concern for the team in the World Cup so far and confirmed that the management will discuss the possibility of including Sanju Samson ahead of the upcoming game against Zimbabwe.

He said, “Yes, of course we have. In the five outings we’ve had so far, four teams have opened the bowling with part-time off-spin, and it has resulted in a wicket almost every time, apart from the USA game, where we still lost Abhishek for a duck. Starting almost every innings at zero for one, or just a couple of runs for one, is obviously putting pressure on the middle-order players.”

He further added, “Tilak and SKY’s role is to link the top order with the finishers, but it hasn’t quite worked that way. There is a lot of inexperience in the team, and ideally you want a settled combination. These players have done it before and are all fantastic cricketers.”

He concluded by saying, “So, do you stick with the guys who we feel have performed really well over the last 18 months and who are maybe shy of a few runs now? Or do we twist and bring Sanju, who’s also a fantastic player and obviously helps tactically with having a right-hander at the top of the order, and I’m sure that’ll be a talking point over the next few days going into these two very important games.”

The IND vs ZIM match will be played on Thursday, 26 February and it will be a must-win clash for India if they have to fancy their chances of qualifying for the semi-final.

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