Hometown hero in heartbreaking events at Greenfield International Stadium sanju samson Failed to convert a golden opportunity, leaving the Thiruvananthapuram crowd stunned During the 5th T20 match against New Zealand.
Despite the electric ‘Sanju-mania’ dominating the stands, the wicketkeeper-batsman’s battle at the top of the order reached a tipping point in what was being considered as the final audition for him. t20 world cup 2026. When opening partner Abhishek Sharma After signaling his intentions by hitting a six in the very first over, Samson appeared to be caught under the immense pressure of expectations and ultimately fell short by a paltry score, putting his place in the national team under intense scrutiny.
IND vs NZ: Lockie Ferguson silences Thiruvananthapuram by dismissing Sanju Samson for 6 runs
The stage was all set for Samson to silence his critics on his home ground, but the fairytale comeback soon turned into a nightmare as he was out cheaply in the third over. facing the raw speed of lockie fergusonSamson struggled to find his timing despite hitting a four in the first over. On the fifth ball (2.5) of the third over, Ferguson bowled a brilliant ball that invited a drive; Samson, going deep into his crease, reached for a high shot but could only take a thick outside edge.
The ball flew towards deep backward point where bevon jacobs Tracked it well and completed a sharp catch. Samson was out after scoring 6 runs in 6 balls, causing a funeral-like silence in the stadium. This ‘flop show’ is particularly damaging given that Ishan Kishanwho returned to the XI tonight, and Tilak VermaSet to rejoin the team on February 3, the duo are pushing hard for a starting spot at the World Cup. As he walked back to the dugout, the disappointment among the local fans was palpable, as they realized that their hero may have played his last international game on home soil in the near future.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Meet Sanju Samson
– can’t play spin
-Can’t play fast
-Existence only on PR
– relation to politicianThe most overrated cricketer ever in the history of cricket. pic.twitter.com/PfFMjxl7ry
– Marcus (@MARCUS907935) 31 January 2026
He actually replaced Shubman Gill with this Sanju Samson. I don’t think anyone has ever played worse 6-7 balls than he did. He should never come close to international cricket again. That technology is shameful.
– Virk (@cirketttt) 31 January 2026
I have been watching cricket for 14 years
I have never seen a bigger fraud than Sanju Samson in my life. pic.twitter.com/rKkmQWPF7J
– πΏππ¨ππ (@screwgauge77) 31 January 2026
I have never seen any worse batsman get so much publicity and recognition in India without doing anything. It is sad to see that regional bias has crept into Indian cricket selections. I mean how can anyone with any knowledge of cricket think that Sanju will be successful against any good bowling.
– Sandy (@SB_071162) 31 January 2026
If Sanju is not able to score 1100 runs in the next 2 seasons then he should not be retained for the next mega auction. We can’t lose someone like Ayush/Karthik for that. He has been very inconsistent for someone with 14 years of IPL experience.
– ΰ€ ΰ€ΰ₯βοΈ (@abi_backup07) 31 January 2026
Gautam Gambhir looking at Sanju Samson pic.twitter.com/VKVAMOmYvI
– Sagar (@sagarcasm) 31 January 2026
Sanju Samson If empathy and PR never existed. pic.twitter.com/rVasKxdCYt
β Kunal Yadav (@Kunal_KLR) 31 January 2026
Sanju scam-s-con in his last 16 T20 innings:
26(20), 5(7), 3(6), 1(3), 16(7), 56(45), 13(17), 39(23), 24(21), 2(4), 37(22), 10(7), 6(5), 0(1), 24(15),6(6)
β 16 average,
– 126 SR pic.twitter.com/JeoNq4NSRw– Vaikon (@vaikon) 31 January 2026
Sanju Samson seems to have taken Gambhir’s words seriously, even if he gets out on zero in 20 matches, he will not leave.
β Akmal Khan (@Destroyedin2021) 31 January 2026
Sanju Samson seems to have taken Gambhir’s words seriously, even if he gets out on zero in 20 matches, he will not leave.
β Akmal Khan (@Destroyedin2021) 31 January 2026
Sanju Samson’s 2026 T20 series vs New Zealand
Samson’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January 2026 proved to be a tough test of character that ultimately put his T20 World Cup aspirations in limbo. With the responsibility of being India’s primary opener alongside Abhishek, Samson struggled to find his rhythm from the start, starting the series with scores of 10 in Nagpur and 6 in Raipur. The pressure increased further after a disappointing golden duck in Guwahati, where he was bowled out. matt henry Peach on the very first ball of the chase.
While he showed glimpses of his signature intent by playing a brief innings of 24 off 15 balls in Visakhapatnam, his homecoming in Thiruvananthapuram resulted in heartbreak; He managed only 6 runs before losing to Ferguson and finished the series with a disappointing score of 46 runs at an average of 9.2. This ‘consistently inconsistent’ run has created a significant selection headache for the team management, given Ishan Kishan’s excellent form and a comeback soon. Tilak Verma There are now doubts over whether Samson will retain his place in the starting eleven for India’s opening World Cup match against the United States on 3 February.
Also read: Rohit Sharma picked a ‘key player’ for India for T20 World Cup 2026
