Sanju Samson scored a golden duck for India in the third T20I against New Zealand, which was played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday (January 25). He was sent back to the dugout by
Matt Henry on the first ball of India’s innings in the 154-run chase. In the first two T20I matches as well, Samson, who is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in T20Is, was only able to score 10 (7 balls) and 6 runs (5 balls).
Samson’s poor form with the bat may cost him a place in India’s playing XI for the fourth T20I against New Zealand, which is scheduled to take place at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday (January 28).
In Samson’s place, 27-year-old Ishan Kishan could keep the wickets and open the innings as well with Abhishek Sharma.
In fact, Ishan’s preferred batting position in white-ball cricket is opener only. He finished as the highest run scorer in the 2025 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and, in the second T20I against New Zealand on January 23, played a knock of 76 runs from just 32 balls in Raipur.
In the third T20I as well, he opened his account by smacking back-to-back sixes off Matt Henry’s bowling in the first over itself but was not able to convert it into a big knock.
Tilak Varma is not available for the last two T20I matches as well. In his absence, Shreyas Iyer will continue to be part of India’s squad, and it will be interesting to see if he gets a game in Visakhapatnam.
Iyer, who scored more than 600 runs for Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, last played a T20I match for the Men in Blue in December 2023 against Australia.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel, who is also the vice-captain of India’s T20I team, missed the second and third T20I against New Zealand due to a finger injury that he suffered while bowling in the series opener. There’s a high possibility that he will feature in the fourth T20I match on Wednesday.
In the third T20I, India rested Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, but they are likely to return for the fourth match of the series.
Kuldeep Yadav looked off colour in the third match, but Ravi Bishnoi impressed with his spin bowling. The team management that continue with Bishnoi in the XI and leave Kuldeep out for world No. 1 T20I bowler Varun, whereas Arshdeep comes in for Harshit Rana.
India’s likely playing XI for the third T20I against New Zealand: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy.
