Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India’s match against Namibia at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 saw Sanju Samson once again become a talking point on social media, as fans criticised him for failing to make the most of his opportunity.Sanju, who came into the playing XI in place of Abhishek Sharma due to illness, got off to a flying start but was dismissed for 22 off just 8 balls.
Despite the quick cameo, many fans felt he wasted another chance to prove himself at the international level. Social media was flooded with sarcastic and critical comments. One fan wrote, “Last time i saw Sanju Samson performing was before World War 2,” while another posted, “Sanju Samson got a good start but couldn’t convert. One more chance wasted successfully.”Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and chose to bowl first on what he described as a good batting surface. “We are going to have a bowl. It is a very good flat cricketing surface; from a surface and dew point point of view, it is the right thing to do. It is about tightening our skillset. Looks like a good wicket, try and chase it in the second half. That is why we play cricket, to entertain,” he said at the toss.India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said his side would have preferred to bat first but was happy with the conditions. “We were looking to bat first. Very happy with it. As long as we are losing the toss and winning the game, we are fine with it. It’s a big tournament, and this dew is going to be a big factor, but when you bat first and go out and defend, I think it gives you a lot of confidence. It’s a very good wicket. Hopefully, batters go out and enjoy themselves. Abhishek is still not fine; he will miss a game or two. Sanju comes in, a similar batter, explosive. Jasprit (Bumrah) comes in for (Mohammed) Siraj,” Suryakumar said.
