Top News

New Delhi: The stage was almost set for Sanju Samson during the T20 World Cup 2026 Group clash against Namibia on Thursday but the Kerala batter missed another opportunity after a fiery star. After India were put into bat first by Namibia at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi, Samson, after a brief dazzling show, succumbed once again as he was unable to carry on the momentum.

In the absence of Abhishek Sharma, Samson opened the innings for India alongside Ishan Kishan and started off on a positive note. The right-handed batter played a scintillating cameo (22 off 8) which included three massive sixes and a lone boundary to set the stadium on fire. Just when it looked like that the seasoned batter would make the most of the opportunity, he lost it again.

After taking India to 25 runs in 1.5 overs, Samson ended up mistiming a shot which went straight into the hands of Louren Steenkamp who was placed at the mid-wicket boundary. Namibia bowler Ben Shikongo helped the side claim the first breakthrough of the game. The Indian batter started off well but failed to captilise on another opportunity during a game which would have set the tone for him.

Samson’s flick issues against quicks

An alarming stat came into the limelight with Samson suffering 4 dismissals since 2025 while playing a flick against a quick in the shortest format. Since last year, he played 17 such shots scoring 42 runs off time but also getting dismissed on four occasions. In his debut year in 2024, he played 26 such shorts against the quicks scoring 44 runs and getting dismissed only once.

With the Indian batter succumbing to the same short once against in the format, this reflects his major issues while tackling a pacer during an on-side flick. Since he showcased a glimpse in the game, he would be hoping for another opportunity to prove his mettle.