Watch: Sanju Samson’s aggressive preparations ahead of IND vs NZ T20I series with ex-RR team director

Team India star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson trained with former Rajasthan Royals Team Director Zubin Bharucha ahead of the IND vs NZ T20I series. The big tournament will start on Wednesday, January 14th.

Sanju Samson was seen batting in the open nets. The star batter played a variety of shots, both along the ground and in the air. He looked in great touch, timed the ball well, and found the middle of the bat. Samson was also seen jogging around the ground with Bharucha.

Towards the end of the session, he took some throwdowns and did shadow batting.

Watch the video of the same below:

Former Mumbai Batter Zubin Bharucha Guides Samson Ahead of Major Tournaments

For those unaware, Zubin Bharucha played 17 first-class and 11 List A matches, representing Mumbai and Surrey. Since 2022, he has been serving as the Director of High Performance at the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Notably, Sanju was part of RR from 2018 to 2024 before being traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

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Samson Gears Up for New Zealand T20Is

Sanju Samson will next be seen in action during the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home, starting Wednesday, January 21. In the previous series against South Africa, he played just one game and scored 37 runs.

With Shubman Gill dropped from the T20I side, Samson is likely to return to opening the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma. He is also expected to open for India in the T20 World Cup 2026. The New Zealand series will therefore be crucial for him to regain rhythm and fine-tune his form as an opener ahead of the marquee event.

Samson’s T20I Record as an Opener

As an opener, Sanju Samson has featured in 18 T20Is, scoring 599 runs at an average of 32.88 and a strike rate of 178.03, including three centuries and one half-century. His best performances for India have come from the top of the order.

Overall, Samson has played 52 T20Is, amassing 1,032 runs in 44 innings at an average of 25.80 and a strike rate of 148.06, with three centuries and three half-centuries.