Why Ishan Kishan has displaced Sanju Samson as opener: Technical versatility, mental fortitude
4 min readNew DelhiFeb 12, 2026 09:18 PM IST Why has Ishan Kishan replaced Sanju Samson at the top of India’s batting order? The team management had backed Samson’s abilities to the point of dropping designated vice-captain Shubman Gill from the T20 World Cup squad altogether. Then how were four outings against New Zealand last month enough for Kishan to replace him, without doubt, as Abhishek Sharma’s opening partner? Sample the sixth over of India’s innings in their second group-stage match against Namibia – in which both played in Abhishek’s illness-induced absence – at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds on Thursday, and the answer becomes painfully obvious. Form and runs are too simplistic a criterion of judgement in this fickle format, especially considering India’s all-out-attack batting template. For this Indian team, relying on the ‘pinch hitters’ that come down in the order is old news; batters must make the most of early field restrictions and go at it from the first ball. Gill and Samson have both been woefully out of form, but while that …
