Kamal Ghorui
India got the new T20 opening pair on Wednesday as Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma walked out to open the innings as Men-in-Blue played South Africa in their only warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. India won the toss, and captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to bat first.At the toss, Suryakumar confirmed a change at the top of the batting order, indicating a possible setback for Sanju Samson’s World Cup plans. The Indian captain said that Ishan Kishan will open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, pushing Samson out of the opening role.“We are going to bat first. It is something we have been doing well. There might be some dew later in the evening, we want to test our bowlers in challenging conditions and defend the total, whatever we get,” Suryakumar said at the toss.Follow live updatesWhen asked about the opening combination and handling pressure at home, the India captain made the team’s plan clear. “Definitely Ishan and Abhishek. [On dealing with pressure and expectations] See, I think when you are playing in India in front of your home ground, there are expectations. But at the same time so many people in the stadium cheering you on, I think it gives you an extra advantage,” he added.Sanju Samson’s position has been under scrutiny for several months. Before the Asia Cup 2025, Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened the innings and delivered steady returns. However, the team management later brought Shubman Gill into the side, which pushed Samson into the middle order. That change affected Samson’s output, and calls grew to restore him as an opener.Gill’s lack of runs and slow scoring rate led the selectors to bring back Ishan Kishan after his strong Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season. Samson then got another chance at the top but managed only 49 runs in five innings against New Zealand. During the same series, Kishan batted at No.3 and scored his maiden T20I century.With Tilak Varma returning to the squad, the management has now decided to move Kishan to the opening slot. That shift has left no clear place for Samson in the playing XI. The team’s thinking was hinted at earlier as well, when Kishan was asked to keep wickets in the fifth T20I.The warm-up match decision has raised questions about whether Samson’s chances of making the T20 World Cup XI are slipping, with the captain’s “definitely Ishan” comment underlining the current pecking order at the top.
