Why is Sanju Samson not playing today in IND vs SA 1st T20I?

It is the time for the five-match T20I series between the hosts India and the visitors South Africa, as Barabati Stadium in Cuttack is hosting the series opener on Tuesday night (December 9). The wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is on the bench for the first game of the series. 

Sanju Samson always stays in the headlines in recent times, when India play T20I matches. The right-handed batter has played 51 T20Is, while he is five runs away from 1000 T20I runs. He has recorded three centuries and three half-centuries in his T20I career, including two T20I centuries against South Africa, when the Men in Blues toured South Africa in November 2024. 

IND vs SA 1st T20I: India vs South Africa toss update and playing XIs

Sanju Samson impressed as middle-order batter in Asia Cup T20 2025

However, Sanju Samson always remains in question due to his inconsistent performances with the bat. Although he impressed as a middle-order batter in the Asia Cup T20 2025, which India won as the unbeaten side, he only played two games in the last five-match T20I series against the hosts Australia, where he scored only two runs while batting only in one innings. 

While Sanju performed better in the Asia Cup 2025, many believe that the 31-year-old deserves more chances. However, the Indian team management has put him on the bench in the T20I series opener against South Africa on Tuesday night. 

Sanju Samson was promising in recent SMAT

In the ongoing T20 domestic cricket tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26, Sanju showcased some promising performances with scores of 51*, 19, 43, 1, 46, and 73. With an average of 58.25, the Kerala captain has scored 233 runs in six innings. Despite his strong performances in the recent domestic T20 competition, Sanju has found himself on the bench for the T20I series opener against South Africa. 

In the Cuttack T20I, Jitesh Sharma has been selected as the wicketkeeper-batter for the hosts.