T20 WC Signal? India Hand Keeping Gloves to Ishan Kishan Over Sanju Samson

India's wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is having one of the worst times in his international career. The right-handed batter was seen playing as an opening batter in the ongoing India vs New Zealand T20I series, where he failed to produce a single impactful knock in five matches.

It is now being speculated that Samson might lose his place in the playing XI in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. The player who can to replace him as an opener is none other than Ishan Kishan, who recently took the wicketkeeping gloves during the IND vs NZ 5th T20I.

Will Ishan Kishan Play Ahead of Sanju Samson in T20 WC?

When India's innings got started, the fans in Trivandrum were surprised to see Ishan Kishan with the wicketkeeping gloves. During the first four matches, it was Samson who was handling the wicketkeeping responsibilities. However, the team management went ahead with Kishan for this role just before the big ICC tournament.

Ishan Kishan wicket keeping left the fans in Trivandrum disappointed as they couldn't see their home boy Sanju Samson behind the wickets. The Kerala boy was instead fielding outside the circle, patrolling the boundary ropes.

The left-handed batter recently made his comeback in India's squad in the ongoing IND vs NZ T20I series. He made full use of the opportunity, scoring the most runs in the series while batting at No. 3. He got to play at the No. 3 spot as Tilak Varma was ruled out of the series due to an injury.

Kishan, one of the best wicketkeepers in India, took the opportunity with both hands and smashed plenty of runs. Since Kishan is in a magnificent form, the clouds are hovering over Samson's head of losing his spot in the team.

Ishan Kishan Smashes Maiden T20I Century

Ishan Kishan's comeback run has been wonderful so far. The left-handed batter showed aggressive intent in the four matches in the ongoing series. Eventually, that intent helped him to smash his first-ever century in the T20I format during the IND vs NZ 5th T20I. Kishan smashed a 42-ball ton and gave a solid statement in front of Samson's home crowd.

The young batter played a 103-run knock off just 43 deliveries, which included six fours and ten sixes. He batted at an impressive strike rate of 239.53 and showed why he should be considered one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world. It would be interesting to see if he gets a chance to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma in the T20 World Cup 2026.