T20 World Cup 2026: 'Sanju Samson played exactly the way the team needed vs Zimbabwe' - Irfan Pathan

Sanju Samson returned to India's playing XI for the important Super 8 game against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, February 26. The wicketkeeper-batter replaced Rinku Singh.

After Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl first, Samson walked out to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma. The flamboyant duo, which had done well for India in several games in 2024, got reunited, and their 48-run partnership off just 22 balls was a treat for the fans who made their way to the iconic stadium.

Samson hit the ground running, hitting a six in each of the first two overs. He was eventually dismissed by Blessing Muzarabani in the fourth over. The Kerala cricketer tried to pull a slower delivery for a six over mid-wicket, but couldn't establish the kind of connection he would have wanted. Ryan Burl took a good catch, running in from deep mid-wicket to end Samson's enterprising stay at the crease.

Samson couldn't convert his start into a substantial score, but Irfan Pathan mentioned that he did exactly what the team needed from him and stitched India's highest opening partnership in the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup.

"India’s first-wicket average this World Cup was just around 7. lowest among all teams. Today, Sanju Samson played exactly the way the team needed and helped put up India’s highest opening partnership of this World Cup. He did the job," the former India all-rounder wrote on his official 'X' handle.

Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya smashed exhilarating half-centuries, while Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma also made important contributions to help India amass 256/4 in their 20 overs. This is the second-highest score in T20 World Cup history.