Sanju Samson to get Ambati Rayudu treatment!! Ex-cricketer drops bomb on T20 World Cup selection

Former Gujarat batsman Priyank Panchal has issued a warning to wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson after his recent miss in the third T20I against New Zealand. Panchal stated that repeated poor performances could jeopardize Samson’s place in the team, and compared it to Ambati’s snub of Rayudu in 2019.

India concluded the five-match T20I series with a 3-0 lead in Guwahati on January 25 and will head to the 2026 T20 World Cup after another series win. However, Samson was killed off for a golden duck after being bowled by Matt Henry while chasing 154. He had scored just 10 and 6 in the first two matches of the series.

This cost Ambati Rayudu his place in the 2019 World Cup – Priyank Panchal on Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson’s recent low scores could affect his place in the T20 World Cup, Priyank Panchal said. Panchal added that the intense competition leaves no room for repeated failure and warned that just three bad matches cost Ambati Rayudu his place in the 2019 World Cup.

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Panchal wrote on

Feeling bad for Sanju. In this competition for places, you cannot afford to be three games within striking distance of a World Cup final. Don’t forget that it was only three bad matches against Australia that cost Rayudu Bhai his place in the World Championship in 2019. I’m afraid history will repeat itself this time too. #INDvNZ

– Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal09) January 25, 2026

For the unversed, Ambati Rayudu missed out on selection for the 2019 ODI World Cup after scoring poorly in the matches leading up to the tournament. He had been regularly used at number four in ODIs prior to the event, making his late omission unexpected for many.

India clinch the series lead 3-0 despite Sanju Samson’s duck in the third T20I

India produced another dominant performance to beat New Zealand in the third T20I in Guwahati. Chasing a target of 154, India finished the match in just 10 overs with eight wickets in hand, building an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

India lost Sanju Samson on the first ball of the chase, as Matt Henry bowled him for a golden duck. However, the early setback did not slow down the scoring rate.

Abhishek Sharma dominated the ball and smashed an unbeaten 68 off just 20 balls. He has reached half-centuries in just 14 deliveries, and is the second-fastest Indian in T20Is. Captain Suryakumar Yadav backed him up with an unbeaten 57 off 26 balls.

Ishan Kishan also scored 28 fast off 13 balls. The penultimate T20I match of the ongoing series will be played in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, January 28.

Ishan Kishan’s form puts Sanju Samson’s role in the T20 World Cup under the spotlight

Ishan Kishan has made a strong impact in the ongoing T20I series. He scored a winning 76 off 32 balls in the second game and followed it up with a quick 28 off 13 balls in the third innings. His form has raised questions about Sanju Samson’s whereabouts ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Samson has been named in the 15-member World Cup squad with a plan to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma. However, that role now looks uncertain after his poor run in the first three T20Is against New Zealand, where he scored 10, 6 and 0.

Since the start of 2025, Samson has played 14 innings and scored 238 runs at an average of 17 and a strike rate of 126.59, with only one score over fifty.

On the other hand, Kishan was not in the early plans for the World Cup. His performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy forced the selectors to select him. He was selected ahead of Shubman Gill as a reserve wicket-taker batsman at the top of the order.

Read also: Ishan Kishan declines, Sanju supports Samson in the starting lineup despite poor form after Tilak Varma’s return