IND vs NZ 2026: 'Failure is acceptable in one or two matches' - Yuzvendra Chahal on Sanju Samson amid poor form

Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has offered his take on Sanju Samson’s recent struggles, stating that pressure should not be used as a defence for the wicketkeeper-batter’s extended run of low scores. Samson’s lean patch continued in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, raising fresh questions about his place in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 plans.

Chahal pointed out that a player with Samson’s experience should be better equipped to handle such situations. The Indian spinner stressed that the ongoing series offered enough opportunities for Samson to stamp his authority, but the returns simply weren’t there. Chahal made it clear that repeated failures cannot be brushed aside as mental pressure, especially for someone who has been part of international cricket for over a decade.

"Sanju Samson has played for many years. He started in the IPL middle-order, then became an opener. After playing international cricket for 10-12 years, pressure shouldn't be an excuse. He has had four chances in this series. I can accept failure in one or two matches, but not in three or four. He knows someone like Ishan Kishan, who is the backup and is batting well at number three, is waiting. Sanju will blame himself. He had four opportunities but could not make them count," Chahal said on JioStar.

Despite the criticism, the leg-spinner urged against panic, reminding that the twenty-team tournament is still some distance away and decisions should be taken with a long-term view.

"However, there's no need to feel too bad because the T20 World Cup is still far. There's one more match against New Zealand. It now depends on the team management's thinking. If they feel Sanju is struggling as an opener and Ishan is doing well at number three, then the right call would be to make Sanju sit out and let Ishan Kishan take his spot as the opener and wicketkeeper in the final T20I," Chahal added.

The wicketkeeper-batter once again failed to make a telling impact in the fourth T20I, managing 24 off 15 before Mitchell Santner got the better of him. While the start was promising, the inability to convert it into a substantial contribution mirrored a familiar pattern. In his last five T20I innings, Samson’s highest score remains 37, which came against the recent South Africa series. In his last 15 outings, the Trivandrum-born has scored only 262 runs, averaging a mere 17.46.

With only 40 runs in the New Zealand series, the 31-year-old now finds himself under mounting scrutiny, particularly with Ishan Kishan delivering solid performances at No. 3 whenever fit. The competition for places has intensified as the Men in Blue edge closer to finalising combinations for the global T20 tournament.

Meanwhile, stumper-batter Kishan missed the fourth match of the series due to a niggle, and his availability for the fifth and final match, which will be played at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on January 31, remains uncertain.