Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra clearly said in his YouTube video that Sanju Samson should be dropped from the opening slot. He strongly said that the Indian team management gave adequate support to Sanju Samson, which he failed to justify.
In his latest video, Chopra was discussing the best possible opening pair for Team India in the T20 World Cup 2026, starting on February 7. Defending champion Team India will be the favorite to claim the title again. To protect their silverware, the people in blue will have to perform as per expectations.
Aakash Chopra shuts down Ishan Kishan vs Sanju Samson debate
The former cricketer said that he had no double-mindedness in choosing Ishan Kishan over Sanju Samson for the opening slot. Ishan performed extremely well against New Zealand in the recently concluded 5-match T20 series, while Sanju Samson did not perform well despite playing in every match of the series.
Chopra prefers recent form rather than emotions to shape the best possible opening pair. Abhishek Sharma is performing well; He will definitely open the innings, but with whom? He was asked the same question.
The former opener said in a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, “I think Ishan Kishan is with Abhishek Sharma. That story is now confirmed. I don’t think there is any scope for change in it and there should not be, because Ishan Kishan has played very well. You will definitely feel sad for Sanju, but the truth is that he has wasted his chances.”
Why should Ishan open with Abhishek Sharma?
Chopra did not question Samson’s credentials as an opening batsman; He highlighted the true fact that the experienced batsman is out of form. The former cricketer said that the team always comes ahead of any individual player. Therefore, he did not hesitate to name Ishan Kishan in place of Sanju Samson for the opening position in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“Two things can happen. Either you wait for Sanju to have a good day, or you say play whoever is having good days. I will play whoever is having good days because Sanju and Ishan are not important for me. India is important for me, and for India, it is important that knowledgeable players play. So Ishan Kishan with Abhishek Sharma,” he said in support of his choice.
Recent stats of Ishan and Sanju
If we look at the statistics of Ishaan and Sanju, it will be easy to understand why Aakash Chopra likes this Jharkhand-born player. In 4 matches against New Zealand, Kishan scored 215 runs at an average of 53.75 and strike rate of 231.18. He also scored a match-winning century against the Kiwi team.
In contrast, Samson played all 5 matches of the bilateral competition and scored only 46 runs at a better average of 9.20 and a strike rate of 135.29.
Read more: Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli! Ishan Kishan reveals who supported him in his darkest times
