Sanju Samson could well catch a lucky break. The India opener is in line to play the IND vs NAM clash with Abhishek Sharma recovering from a stomach infection. Sharma played the IND vs USA game in Mumbai but has been down with illness, even visiting the hospital on the eve of the Namibia game in Delhi. Should he miss out, Samson is the backup opener in India's ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
"Sanju is feeling well again, understanding where he fits into the scheme of things now as an injury replacement. He's a solid guy, he's good around the group, he's training well and that's what we expect from everyone in the team," assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate said at pre-match press conference.
Sanju Samson was India's incumbent opener with chief selector Ajit Agarkar and coach Gautam Gambhir preferring him over vice-captain Shubman Gill. However, a horror show in the IND vs NZ series saw him concede his spot to Ishan Kishan. Kishan opened the batting with Abhishek in the T20 World Cup opener, with Sanju benched for the game in Mumbai.
