Samson in Line if Abhishek Misses Namibia Clash After Health Scare
India may be forced into a change at the top of the order for their upcoming T20 World Cup fixture against Namibia, with Abhishek Sharma’s availability still uncertain after a recent health scare.
Abhishek was hospitalised with a stomach bug shortly after India’s previous match against USA, where he was dismissed for a first-ball duck and did not field in the second innings. Though he has since been discharged, the team management is closely monitoring his recovery ahead of the game in Delhi.
“If he hasn’t regained full fitness, we’ll take a call tomorrow,” India batter Tilak Varma said on Wednesday. “When we reached Delhi, he went to hospital for an examination. He has been discharged today and he is doing well. We have got one more day for the game so hopefully we will decide by tomorrow how he feels and we’ll go with it.”
Should Abhishek be ruled out, Sanju Samson appears to be the frontrunner to step in as the reserve specialist opener. A left-field alternative could be allrounder Washington Sundar, who recently returned to training after recovering from a rib injury, but signs from India’s practice sessions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium suggest Samson is the preferred option.
Samson has spent extended periods in the nets over the past two days, including a lengthy session facing Jasprit Bumrah, who has also recovered from illness. The wicketkeeper-batter’s preparations have been closely observed by head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar — an indication that he is firmly in the selection conversation.
Samson’s recent international form, however, presents a mixed picture. Since the start of 2025, he has managed just 268 runs in 16 T20I innings at an average of 16.75 and a strike rate of 128.22 — numbers that saw him lose his opening spot to Ishan Kishan ahead of the tournament.
Yet Samson has shown his potential in the recent past. During his comeback in 2024, he was backed by Suryakumar as an opener and responded with the third-fastest T20I century for India — a 40-ball hundred against Bangladesh in October.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate underlined the team management’s continued support for Samson, emphasising transparency in selection decisions.
“At this level, you need to be honest and transparent,” ten Doeschate said. “Sanju’s had all the support that he could possibly have had. When someone like Ishan comes in and has a series like he has, it’s pretty obvious what the selection is going to be for that first game. But we also understand there are probably five or six more games you have to win, and all 15 members are vitally crucial to our ambitions.”
He added that the focus now is ensuring Samson remains mentally ready for any opportunity, whether as an injury or form replacement.
“You’re not going to have any hassles with Sanju — solid guy, good around the group, training well. He’s a good vibe around the group, and that’s what we expect from everyone in the team.”
Meanwhile, Tilak Varma reiterated the importance of the middle overs in India’s batting blueprint. Batting at No. 3, a role he has settled into over the past two years, Tilak stressed that partnerships between himself and Suryakumar Yadav could be key to success in the tournament.
“We have spoken internally that at three and four myself and Surya bhai have done well,” Tilak said. “We take singles nicely, find gaps in the middle overs. Others like Abhishek, Ishan and Sanju bhai hit sixes, and we have powerful batters in the lower order. Teams that play well between overs six and 16 will win in this tournament.”
India’s leadership under Suryakumar and Gambhir has maintained flexibility in the batting order beyond the openers, though Nos. 3 and 4 have largely remained consistent in recent matches.
“I always say middle overs are very important where you need a settled batsman,” Tilak added. “If I can take the game deep, especially when we are chasing, it makes things easier for the finishers. We are not short of power-hitters — we can bat till No. 8. One batsman needs to anchor in the middle.”
With Abhishek’s fitness still under assessment, India face a selection decision that could hand Samson another opportunity to reignite his international career on the World Cup stage.