In a surprising move for India’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener, left-handed batter Ishan Kishan was left out of the playing XI, despite being one of India’s top performers in the recent T20I series against New Zealand. Instead, the team management chose Sanju Samson to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma in the first match against the United States at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Sanju Samson looks completely broken he has also made up his mind that he won’t get many more chances now 💔🙃.
Gambhir and the management didn’t do the right thing by not allowing him to do wicketkeeping. pic.twitter.com/H2RizGRwTB
— 𝐉𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞 (@jod_insane) February 1, 2026
Kishan had been in excellent form leading up to the World Cup. He scored heavily in the New Zealand series, finishing with 215 runs at a strong average and a high strike rate. His performance included a century in the fifth T20I, which made his omission from the starting lineup unexpected. On the other hand, Samson had struggled to score runs in the same series, making the decision to promote him as opener even more surprising. Samson was given the opening role after taking a break from it, but he managed only 46 runs in the series, averaging under 10. Despite this poor run, the team management decided to go with him for the crucial World Cup opener.
.@yuzi_chahal picks his playing XI for India’s opening fixture! 👀 💪🏻
Just 4 days to go before the defending champions begin their journey on T20 cricket’s biggest stage with one clear mission: 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗧 & 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧 history 🔥🤩
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup 2026 👉 #INDvUSA |… pic.twitter.com/X9KsBx2CjQ
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 3, 2026
India enters the tournament as the reigning champions and one of the favourites to lift the trophy again. Playing on home soil gives the team an added advantage. Led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, India has been very strong in T20 cricket over the past few years, winning many matches. Since their T20 World Cup victory in 2024, India has maintained a high win percentage in the format. Their recent 4–1 T20I series win over New Zealand at home showed the team’s depth and adaptability in familiar conditions.
THE ROAR FOR SANJU SAMSON WHEN SURYAKUMAR YADAV MENTIONED HIS NAME. 🔥🌟
– The Craze of Sanju in Kerala..!!!!
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) January 31, 2026
For the opener against the USA, Chahal’s chosen playing XI included a balanced mix of batters and bowlers. Abhishek Sharma and Samson opened the innings, while experienced players such as Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh were included in the middle order. The bowling attack featured Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy, supported by spin all-rounders like Axar Patel. Even though Ishan Kishan was left out of the starting XI, he remains part of India’s full T20 World Cup squad. Other squad members include Tilak Varma, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana.
India’s opening match of the World Cup will attract a lot of attention, particularly because of the changes in the batting order. Fans and cricket experts will be keen to see how Samson performs as an opener and whether India’s strong form continues as they aim to defend their title on home soil.
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