Watch: Robin Uthappa explains why Sanju Samson should open for India in T20 World Cup 2026

BCCI declared the T20 World Cup 2026 squad without Shubman Gill. Gill was the vice-captain and opener in the India vs South Africa T20I series. After his omission from the squad, along with Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson is the other automatic choice for an opening slot. Ishan Kishan is also in the squad who can perform as an opener.

Former India international Robin Uthappa feels that India's opening pair should be stitched between Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Sharma already cemented his position as an opener in the team. But the matter is different for Samson. In the recent past, during the Asia Cup 2025, the keeper-batter, who is a natural opener, had to perform as a middle-order batter. Uthappa explains why the team management must consider Samson as the opening partner of Sharma.

"Sanju Samson should be a starter in the T20 World Cup eleven, no matter what. And I will tell you why. So Sanju Samson is amongst hundreds of makers post T20 World Cup 2024. In South Africa he got back-to-back hundreds and then Bangladesh. Motivated young stars who also put their hands up – if Sanju can score one hundred, I could score as well. For me, secondly, what wrong did the opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma do for them to get broken? It was a working partnership," the former India keeper-batter opined.

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Uthappa also put a focus on Samson's professional cricket background. Because of his versatile nature as a batsman and experience, Sanju can bring stability to the playing combination along with his brilliance in leading a team. He was the skipper of Rajasthan Royals, so he knows how to react under tough circumstances.

Watch the part of the conversation where Robin Uthappa said about Sanju Samson

"The third reason is that he brings a lot of balance into the side. We saw him absorb pressure in the Asia Cup 2025 final, along with Tilak Varma, and build an important partnership. But I still think if Sanju Samson bats either 1, 2 or 3, not below that. Other than that, Sanju has been captain of his franchise for about three, four or five years, so he brings experience as well. So he knows when stakes are high. Having him becomes integral. If you want to be able to defend that World Cup title successfully."

India squad for the T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Rinku Singh.