New Delhi: Sanju Samson let a golden opportunity slip as his rough patch with the bat continued in the 4th T20I of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand in Vizag on Wednesday. The star batter had the opportunity to headline India’s run chase against the Kiwis after early departures of Abhishek Sharma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav, however, he failed to convert his start into a big score.

The right-hander was dismissed cheaply on 24 off 15 balls after showcasing early promise in his innings. All eyes were on Samson heading into the game with the star batter under immense pressure after failing in the first three T20Is against New Zealand. However, he recorded a 4th straight failure in the penultimate game of the series.

In pursuit of a record 216-run target at the ACA-VDCA Stadium, India lost in-form opener Abhishek Sharma on a Golden Duck on the very first ball of their innings. Suryakumar too departed cheaply on 8, leaving the hosts in a spot of bother at 9/2 inside two overs.

The stage was perfectly set for Samson to step up and anchor India’s chase. The right-hander looked in good touch as he got to 24 with the help of three fours. However, he ended up getting cleaned up by Mitchell Santner in the 7th wicket, failing to make the most of the opportunity.

Samson has so far managed only 40 runs in four matches in the ongoing T20I series against England, raising questions regarding his form ahead of the all-important T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to get underway in less than two weeks. Samson scored 10 runs in the series opener against New Zealand in Nagpur, before managing scores of 6, 0 and 24 in the next three games.

Samson’s poor form is a huge concern for India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. Once the team’s first-choice opener in T20Is, Samson was replaced by Shubman Gill at the top during the Asia Cup last year and regained his position only after Gill was left out of the squads by the Indian selectors for the New Zealand series and the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.

However, he has been far from impactful in the series against the Kiwis, where the Indian batters have enjoyed a great time punishing the visitors. While the likes of Suryakumar, Abhishek and Ishan Kishan have fired all cylinders, runs have dried up for Samson, putting his opening slot under the scanner ahead of the T20 World Cup next month.

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel brushed aside concerns regarding Samson’s form, stating that the opener is one knock away from regaining his confidence. Many felt Wednesday could be the day Samson finally joins the party. He did get off to a start, but couldn’t make the most of it, suffering a fourth consecutive failure in the series.

With Kishan in top-notch form, Samson would be aware that selection scenarios could change quickly ahead of a major tournament. While the batter will be hopeful of bouncing back among the runs in the final 5th T20I, Samson’s chances of becoming India’s first-choice opener for the T20 World Cup look slim amid his lean patch.

With Kishan fit and firing, it appears all but over for Samson, who will remain in the squad but might not be preferred to partner Abhishek at the top in the showpiece event. However, it remains to be seen if the Indian team management will pull the plug on Samson or if Gautam Gambhir & Co. will continue backing the experienced batter ahead of a crucial tournament.