Fans were shocked and disappointed sanju samson failed to take advantage with the bat During the second T20I against New Zealand On January 23, 2026. Chasing a mammoth target of 209 runs, Samson went out with the burden of expectation. Shubman Gill in the opening slot, but his stay at the crease lasted only for five balls. Social media immediately turned into a battlefield of criticism and memes started trending once again as supporters lamented his inability to perform consistently ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup.
Sanju Samson’s dismissal and continuous flop show in IND vs NZ T20I series
Samson’s struggle for rhythm reached its peak in Raipur, where he was out after scoring just 6 runs in 5 balls in the very first over of the chase. After a nervous start against matt henrySamson attempted to break the bonds with an aggressive aerial shot, but only succeeded in handing Rachin Ravindra At mid-on.
The failure came after a poor performance of 10 (7) in the series opener in Nagpur, a disastrous ‘flop show’ for a player who was seen as the heir apparent to India’s top-order baton. Fans have been particularly harsh in their trolling, pointing out that Samson has only managed a significant score in his last twelve T20I innings at an average of 19.33. The contradiction between his ‘million-dollar shots’ and his subsequent ‘brainless dismissals’ has led many to demand Gill’s immediate reinstatement, as the Indian cricket public’s patience has finally run out just weeks before the global tournament.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Meet Sanju Samson:-
-gets selected in the team
– not performed
-was dropped from the team
-Kicked out justice gang for PRThe most cheating player ever seen? pic.twitter.com/TmnpitrP0f
– Marcus (@MARCUS907935) 23 January 2026
Ruturaj Gaikwad >>> Sanju Samson is overrated pic.twitter.com/ebPmpmhcv7
-Aditya (@adityacasm_) 23 January 2026
Sanju Samson after this series 😭
-Jason (@mahixcavi7) 23 January 2026
So, how long will we continue with the farce called Sanju Samson? It is difficult to remember the last time he scored any meaningful runs. Ridiculous promotion to keep this guy on the team for years!! 🏏
– Sohini M. (@Mittermaniac) 23 January 2026
POV: Sanju Samson when it comes to seizing opportunitiespic.twitter.com/t9RVxa91rN
– Aman_Chen 🏳️ (@Amanprabhat9) 23 January 2026
Nice selfless cameo by Sanju Samson. Gil could never love this.
– Archer (@poserarcher) 23 January 2026
Sanju Samson 😭😭#t20i pic.twitter.com/jbP7qEFHZu
– 💙 (@Alreadysad__) 23 January 2026
Sanju Samson’s career without PR😭 pic.twitter.com/L8Dg9tyWlW
-Aditya (@wXtreme18) 23 January 2026
They say Sanju Samson is ‘talented’. I agree. Whenever the pressure is really on, he keeps gifting his wickets to the opposition team. 10 years of ‘prospect’ and we are still waiting for delivery. At this rate, he’ll be ‘promising’ at his retirement ceremony https://t.co/UFJPFhypVw
– OldMonkOfCricket (@BhusanManmath) 23 January 2026
After this series, BCCI said to Sanju Samson: pic.twitter.com/wKejidHGys
– 4PenyonHorse (@4PenyonHorse) 23 January 2026
Also read: Explained: Why New Zealand players are wearing black armbands during IND vs NZ 2nd T20I in Raipur
Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan steadied the innings as India chased the target of 209 runs.
The match in Raipur remains a neck-and-neck affair as India look set for a chase after the early dismissals of Samson and both. Abhishek SharmaWho fell in love with a golden duck. New Zealand’s total score of 208/6 was built on the strength of the captain’s late innings attack. michel santner (47) Fluent 44 runs from Rachin despite unbeaten and disciplined efforts hardik pandya. In reply, India were faltering at 6/2 at first Ishan Kishan counter-attacked strongly and destroyed zak faulx 24 runs in a single over to revive the hopes of the local fans. India has reached 75/2 at the score of 6 overs Suryakumar Yadav And Kishan is stabilizing the innings. While the required run rate remains high, the presence of Hardik and Rinku Singh In the dugout, India have been made slight favorites to pull off a sensational win and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
