T20 World Cup: Reasons Sanju Samson is Excluded from India’s Lineup Against the USA | Cricket News

Sanju Samson during a practice session ahead of the fifth and final T20 International cricket match between India and New Zealand.

Sanju Samson Excluded from India’s T20 World Cup Opener

Sanju Samson was not named in India’s playing XI for their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the United States at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. Captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed at the toss that Ishan Kishan would replace Samson at the top of the order, opening with Abhishek Sharma. Tilak Verma was included in the middle order. USA skipper Monank Patel won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Other Notable Omissions from the Squad

India also left out Jasprit Bumrah, who is unwell, allowing Mohammed Siraj to step into the XI. Washington Sundar did not make the team either. “We have Washi (Washington Sundar) missing out, Sanju (Samson) missing out. Unfortunately, Bumrah is not well, so Siraj is playing,” Yadav stated during the toss.

Performance Analysis of Sanju Samson

Samson had opened the batting in the last five T20I matches during the series against New Zealand, but he struggled to find form, failing to score significant runs. In India’s only warm-up match before the T20 World Cup, he did not bat.

Ishan Kishan’s Strong Performance

Meanwhile, Kishan bolstered his case for selection with impressive performances, scoring a half-century and a century in the New Zealand series. He also opened the innings during the warm-up game against South Africa, achieving 53 off 20 balls while keeping wicket.

Complete Teams for the Match

Along with Samson, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar were absent from India’s playing XI for this match.

India: Ishan Kishan (w), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy.

USA: Saiteja Mukkamalla, Andries Gous (wk), Monank Patel (c), Milind Kumar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Shubham Ranjane, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan.