The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member squad for the ODI series against New Zealand. Captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer have returned to the team after recovering from injuries. They have replaced Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the squad.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the three-match series.

The first ODI against New Zealand will be played in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. The second and third ODIs will be held in Rajkot and Indore on January 14 and January 18, respectively.

In this article, we take a look at four star Indian players who were ignored by the selectors despite strong performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. 

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1. Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson made a strong return to List-A cricket by scoring 101 runs off 95 balls against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His innings included three sixes and nine fours. Kerala won the match by eight wickets.

This was Samson’s fourth List-A century. He last played an ODI for India in 2023, when he scored 108 against South Africa in Paarl. The 31-year-old has scored 510 runs in 16 ODIs at an average of 56.66, including one century and three half-centuries.

Despite this, Rishabh Pant has kept his place as the backup wicketkeeper to KL Rahul in the Indian team.

2. Tilak Varma

Hyderabad captain Tilak Varma scored his sixth List-A century against Chandigarh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Saturday, January 3. The left-handed batter made 109 runs off 118 balls, hitting three sixes and six fours. His knock helped Hyderabad register their first win of the tournament by 136 runs.

Tilak Varma recently played in the ODI series against South Africa. He was included in the playing XI for the third ODI, but India did not need him to bat. Even after his strong domestic form, he was left out of the ODI squad, which came as a surprise.

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3. Axar Patel

Gujarat all-rounder Axar Patel scored his maiden List-A century against Andhra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He smashed 130 runs off 111 balls, including five sixes and ten fours.

Axar also impressed with the ball, picking up 2 wickets for 27 runs in six overs. His all-round performance helped Gujarat win the match by seven runs.

Axar last played an ODI series for India against Australia, where he took three wickets in three matches. He also scored 31 and 44 in two innings. However, Ravindra Jadeja replaced him in the next ODI series against South Africa and has kept his place in the squad against New Zealand.

4. Mohammad Shami

Mohammad Shamicontinued his good form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 3 wickets for 55 runs as Bengal defeated Assam by 85 runs. He has picked up 11 wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 5.65 in the tournament.

Shami was also impressive in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he took 16 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 8.93. In the ongoing 2025–26 Ranji Trophy season, he has taken 20 wickets in four matches.

Despite his consistent performances, the selectors have ignored him. India have continued with Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana for the ODI series against New Zealand. Shami last played an ODI against New Zealand during the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India went on to win the title.

Sanju Samson is likely to get a leadership role in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the upcoming Indian Premier League season (IPL 2026). It is speculated that the keeper-batter can be appointed as the vice-captain of the team in the IPL 2026 season, while Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue as their skipper.

After the rare setback in the IPL 2025 season, the franchise invested heavily in future prospects. As MS Dhoni is closing in on IPL retirement, the management had to find someone who can fit the profile: a keeper-batter with leadership qualities. Sanju Samson, on paper, is the best candidate to be named. According to reports, Chennai Super Kings are reportedly planning a big leadership transition ahead of IPL 2026, and all signs point towards Sanju Samson being appointed as the new vice-captain of the franchise.

Before the IPL 2026 auction, CSK secured the service of Samson for a hefty fee of 18 crore. To make the trade deal possible with Rajasthan Royals, CSK let their veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja go along with exciting English all-rounder Sam Curran, which showed the amount of faith CSK officials have in Sanju Samson. Samson was the captain of Rajasthan Royals.

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Apart from Dhoni and Sanju, youngster Urvil Patel is also the wicketkeeper for Chennai Super Kings. So, it will be interesting to see who will be their regular keeper-batter in the IPL 2026 season. If Dhoni plays only as an impact player, then it is possible to see Samson as their first-choice keeper-batter.

CSK IPL 2026 Squad:

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, M.S. Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, and Zak Foulkes.

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

Robin Uthappa, in a recent Insta reel, said :- Sanju Samson should open for India in the T20 World Cup 2026 no matter what.
He also added that if either Sanju Samson or Abhishek Sharma fires, India will put up a mammoth total.pic.twitter.com/jyvXgihEOu

— Mr Stranger (@mrstranger005) December 26, 2025

"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.

India defeated South Africa by 30 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on December 19 in the fifth and final T20I of the series. The Men in Blue posted 231-5 after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. In response, South Africa managed only 201-8 in their 20 overs. With this win, India sealed the series 3-1, as one match was abandoned due to fog.

Following the Ahmedabad victory, India concluded their international schedule for 2025. The team played 21 T20I matches this year, winning 15 and losing three, giving them a win percentage of 71.42. Two matches ended in a draw, and one match was tied.

The year also saw several memorable performances by Indian batters. Here is the list of the top five Indian batters with the most runs in T20Is in 2025, highlighting the players who made a mark in the shortest format.

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Top 5 Indian Batters with Most T20I Runs in 2025

5. Sanju Samson (222 runs)

Keeper-batter Sanju Samson is fifth on the list of Indian batters with the most runs in T20Is in 2025. In 15 matches (11 innings), he scored 222 runs at an average of 20.18 and a strike rate of 126.85, with one half-century.

Samson's best score in 2025 was 56 off 45 balls against Oman in Abu Dhabi during the Asia Cup in September. The knock included three fours and three sixes. He also scored 39 off 23 against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 and 24 off 21 in the final against Pakistan.

After missing a few matches, Samson returned for the Ahmedabad T20I against South Africa and finished the year with 37 off 22, hitting four fours and two sixes.

4. Shubman Gill (291 runs)

Shubman Gill is fourth on the list. In 15 matches, he scored 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26. He did not score any half-centuries in T20Is in 2025.

Gill’s best score was 47 off 28 balls against Pakistan in Dubai during the Asia Cup. He also scored 46 off 39 against Australia in Carrara and 37* off 20 against Australia in Canberra.

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3. Hardik Pandya (302 runs)

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is third on the list. In 15 matches, he scored 302 runs at an average of 33.55 and a strike rate of 153.29, with three fifties.

Pandya scored 63 off 25 balls against South Africa in Ahmedabad, hitting five fours and five sixes. He also made 53 off 30 balls against England in Pune and an unbeaten 59 off 28 against South Africa in Cuttack.

2. Tilak Varma (567 runs)

Tilak Varma is India’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is in 2025. He played 20 matches (18 innings), scoring 567 runs at an average of 47.25 and a strike rate of 129.15, with four half-centuries.

Varma scored 72* off 55 against England in Chennai, 69* off 53 in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, 62 off 34 against South Africa in Mullanpur, and 73 off 42 against South Africa in Ahmedabad.

1. Abhishek Sharma (859 runs)

Opener Abhishek Sharma is Team India’s leading run-scorer in T20Is in 2025. He played all 21 matches and scored 859 runs at an average of 42.95 and a strike rate of 193.46, with one hundred and five half-centuries.

Abhishek scored 135 off 54 balls against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, hitting seven fours and 13 sixes. He also made 79 off 34 against England at Eden Gardens, 74 off 39 against Pakistan in Dubai during the Asia Cup, and many other strong knocks throughout the year.

A fresh injury of vice-captain Shubman Gill opened the gates for Sanju Samson to be a part of India's playing XI in Ahmedabad for the 5th of the 5-match T20I series against South Africa. After the match, a gesture of Samson melted the hearts of cricket fans. 

Sanju Samson was with the squad from the beginning of the T20I series, but mainly as a benchwarmer. Then, a day before the fifth match, reports emerged about Gill's injury, which allowed Samson to play the remaining match, and that too as an opener. During the Asia Cup 2025, Samson got to play matches as a middle-order batter, which was his unusual position. But still, the keeper-batter is always up to prove his cog in the setup. 

With Sanju and Abhishek Sharma on the top of the batting order, Team India got a flying start in Ahmedabad. Sanju got 37 off 22, and India eventually won the match as they registered 231/5 in the first innings. Indian cricket fans thoroughly enjoyed the pristine form of the batter. 

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Watch the moment when Sanju Samson gifted his gloves to little fans 

Sanju Samson gifted his gloves to the 2 little kids in Ahmedabad.

The humbleness and kindness of Sanju make him so special 🫡❤️pic.twitter.com/8fVJgAHQD9

— Tejash (@Tejashyyyyy) December 20, 2025

After the match, when the keeper-batter was about to go inside the pavilion, he noticed two little fans calling his name from the front row of the gallery. Sanju changed his route and went straight towards the gallery to meet up with the young fans. Next, what happened could be a long-term memory for two boys.

Sanju came with his pads and gloves near the fence and gifted his gloves to the little boys. The heartwarming moment is now surfacing on social media platforms. After the conclusion of the multi-format series against South Africa, Team India will be gearing up for their next assignment, which will be against New Zealand. 

A painful moment for Rohan Pandit, one of the field umpires for the India vs. South Africa 5th T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Pandit was instantly on the ground, lying on his back after getting hit by the ball. 

Team India was in full flow from the beginning of the match. Without the service of the vice-captain Shubman Gill, Team India scored 231 runs against only 5 wickets in the 20-over limit. Gill is sidelined because of a fresh injury. In place of him, Sanju Samson was named in the first eleven. He paired up with Abhishek Sharma for the opening position of the team. With Samson and Sharma on top, India got a flying start in the match. 

Sanju got 37 runs against 22 deliveries. His innings was decorated with a couple of 6s and four 4s. The boundary tally could be more if the umpire did not appear as an obstacle. 

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Watch the moment when the ball hit the umpire hard

That one must have hurt. 🩹@IamSanjuSamson times this one sweetly and the ball rockets off the bowlers hand and umpire Rohan Pandit cops a nasty blow to his shin. 🫣😵‍💫#INDvSA 5th T20I | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/adG06ykx8o pic.twitter.com/T4XdtqK9jA

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 19, 2025

Samson then was in full charge, trying to slam the ball hard. During an over of Donovan Ferreira in the first innings, the right-handed batter hit the ball hard and straight. The ball was travelling at a good pace. The bowler tried to stop the ball but was beaten by the pace. Umpire Rohan Pandit was also tricked by the pace of the ball as it hit his knee directly. 

Pandit was too late to react against the travelling ball. It hit the umpire's knee so hard that Rohan Pandit instantly went down on the ground and was visibly in pain. The physios reacted quickly on the occasion and rushed to the spot to provide the injured umpire some much-needed medical support. Physios of both teams were on the spot. After a while, the umpire went back on his feet, and the match went on as usual.

The 5-match T20I series is currently on a crucial turn as India lost the 2nd match after winning the first game of the series. In both matches, the batting department of the team failed to perform as a unit. In the second match, some of their key bowlers also misfired. India will try to win the 3rd match (IND vs SA 3rd T20I) , which is today at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, at any cost.

There are a lot of speculations about India's possible playing XI for today's match. There are multiple sources that are claiming that the team management can try a different playing combination for this important contest. If the claims are to be believed, then the Men in Blue can make multiple changes in the first eleven, and we can see some changes in the batting line-up. 

Shivam Dube's chances of being in the playing eleven for the third match are under doubt, as the pace-bowling all-rounder could do very little in the previous two matches. In place of Dube, the management can bring back Sanju Samson into the lineup to solidify the batting unit. If Sanju comes into the eleven, will Shubman Gill or Abhishek Sharma drop from the combination? The opening pair may remain unchanged as Samson can make his way into the combination as a middle-order batter.

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The Indian team management can take multiple crucial decisions for IND vs SA 3rd T20I 

Officials can take a tough call on Axar Patel as well. As Patel's contribution in both matches was not very impactful, there are chances to see him on the sideline for the IND vs SA 3rd T20I match. If Axar is put on the bench, then Washington Sundar can get a chance to show his talent in the Twenty20 format. 

Possible combination Team India can make for IND vs SA 3rd T20I:

1. Sanju Samson in, Shivam Dube out

2. Washington Sundar in, Axar Patel out

3. Unchanged opening pair 

4. Jitesh Sharma to continue as the wicketkeeper. 

The former Indian batter, Mohammad Kaif, has highlighted that the management must rest the struggling opening batter, Shubman Gill, in the ongoing T20I series, calling that the vice-captains had been dropped before. Gill’s return to the South Africa series wasn’t promising with scores of four and a golden duck. There is a loud noise of leaving out the batter of the eleven.

Shubman Gill has accumulated overall 263 runs in 14 innings at an average of under 24 and a strike rate of 142.93, with the best score of 47 runs against Pakistan, which came during the Asia Cup 2025. Kaif reckoned that there should not be double standards. 

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“Look at how he is getting out, caught at slip, stepping out and mistiming, trying aggressive strokes like Abhishek Sharma, and getting caught. He has tried everything. I think the time has come to give him a break and try players who are proven. Sanju Samson is a top-quality player; he hasn’t received enough chances. There should not be double standards. Even vice-captains have been dropped before.” Kaif expressed on his YouTube channel.

Mohammad Kaif calls for Shubman Gill’s exclusion from T20I series

If the management leaves out Gill, then they can bring Sanju Samson as the opener, which will open the door to having the wicket-keeping option. That will also push them to add an extra all-rounder or bowler in the eleven.

“But now it feels like the time has come for changes. You dropped players like Jaiswal, and you kept Sanju Samson on the bench without giving him consistent chances, even though he scored heavily as an opener. He hit three centuries in five T20 innings, something no one in history has done. Some players get very few chances.” Kaif highlighted.

“IPL conditions are different; international cricket against South Africa, Pakistan, England, and New Zealand is at a completely different level. I feel he has been given too much too soon. That is why he picked up that neck issue earlier. That was not really a neck issue; it was an accumulated workload taking a toll on the body. You cannot stay at your peak continuously.” The former batter concluded.

India faced a massive defeat of over 50 runs against South Africa during the second T20I of the five-match series at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. Their performance with the ball and bat was not up to the mark as the Protea side bounced back incredibly to square off the series at 1-1.

The cold weather of Chandigarh was not easy for the players and the fans. But there was a funny interaction between the wicket-keeper batter of the side, Sanju Samson, and the left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, who were not playing the clash and were standing outside the boundary rope. The video of their interaction went viral on social media.

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There was a point when Kuldeep, dressed in his cap and putting a towel on his face, came to put his frozen hands on Samson’s cheek. The latter held the spinner on his shoulder and brought him closer. The fans kept making loud noise as the funny situation flew around the social platforms.

Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav’s funny reaction to New Chandigarh’s cold weather 

Samson, who has smashed 185 runs in 10 innings of the T20Is this year, was dropped from the eleven after getting a couple of chances in the previous five-match T20I series against Australia down under. The management has given Shubman Gill a long rope at the opening spot, but the Punjab-born hasn’t shown any promising signs either.

Watch the video here: 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sandeep Singh (@sportstalkcricket_)

Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up 19 wickets in nine T20I innings in 2025 at an average of just around 11 and an economy rate of seven with the best figures of 4/7, has also not been picked in the eleven. Varun Chakravarthy could partner with Kuldeep to hamper the middle-order batting of the opposition.

India collected a massive victory by over 100 runs in the opening clash at Cuttack, but let themselves down in Chandigarh. They will have a chance to take a lead in the third encounter at the Himachal Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.

The joy after winning the 1st T20I of the series short-lived, as Team India lost the 2nd match against South Africa (IND vs SA 2nd T20I). South Africa won the second game in New Chandigarh by 51 runs. After the defeat, the Indian team management can consider some changes in their playing XI.

It is reported that for the third India vs South Africa T20I (IND vs SA 3rd T20I) match, Sanju Samson can be included in the playing combination. In the previous two matches, the Indian batting order mostly underperformed. In the first match, it was Hardik Pandya who appeared as the lone performer with the bat, and in the second, Tilak Varma emerged as the only hope while the Men in Blue were chasing a target of 214 in the second innings.

The top order of the team flopped in both of the matches, as Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav lost their wickets cheaply. In the middle order, Shivam Dube's form was not enough to provide some support.

Read More: Watch : Jitesh Sharma touches Harleen Deol's feet after IND vs SA 2nd T20I

Sanju Samson likely to play India vs South Africa 3rd T20I

For which batting position can Samson be considered in the playing XI of India? Under the coaching of Gautam Gambhir, there have been a lot of experiments regarding the batting order. Samson, who is an established top-order batsman, had to perform as a middle-order batsman during the Asia Cup 2025. But went in the middle as the number 3 batter during the Australia vs India, 2nd T20I at Melbourne.

In 2025, the keeper-batter performed brilliantly in domestic tournaments but not consistently for India in the Twenty20 format. This year, he participated in 14 T20s and got only one half-century, which came against Oman. It will be interesting to see for which role Samson can be considered for his next international assignment.