2 min readMay 11, 2026 08:24 PM IST
India opener Sanju Samson who starred in their T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year has revealed how he made peace with Ishan Kishan taking his spot in the XI at the start of the tournament. Despite being the first-choice opener and wicketkeeper in the two years leading up to the tournament, dip in form which caused low scores meant Samson had to give his spot to Ishan in the XI.
Though Samson would make a stunning comeback and go on to have a memorable T20 World Cup and walk away with the Man of the Tournament award, the CSK opener said what the arrival of Ishan did to him. “Honestly Ishan Kishan, he came in the squad out of nowhere. He had a great Mustaq Ali, he won the championship for Jharkhand and he has also had a great story boss,” Samson told CSK podcast with Abhinav Mukund. “We only look at ourselves right. I think I have worked day in and day out, but lately I felt like Ishan has also done the same. After what has happened to him from last two years — he was out of the system, he worked so hard in the domestic cricket and he came to where he came and he was starting to score runs and I can admit it on camera that I could feel that he is coming for my spot,” Samson said.
Though India were backing Samson all the way in the bilateral series against New Zealand, Ishan’s century at the former’s home town Trivandrum proved to be the clincher with the left-hander taking up his spot when the World Cup commenced. “In Trivandrum when he scored that hundred, I was like ‘Sanju now you just give it to him boss he deserves it more than you do. You got your chances you didn’t score runs but there is someone who is in tremendous form’. He has come out of Mushtaq Ali has done everything right to reach there and he scored a century also just before the World Cup starts, so now I think, ‘Sanju you just leave it’,” Samson said.
