Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s warning was sharp and immediate. Anyone standing along the boundary ropes was ordered to face the field, not the stands. India’s first practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium ahead of the Namibia clash was underway and the ball was hit venomously enough to make reverse spin a safety hazard. Fielding coach T Dilip set the tone and timed his fungo hits perfectly as India began to practice under the floodlights.
The mood in the camp was characteristically exuberant. After surviving a scare against the USA in their opener, the squad seemed intent on keeping things quiet.
“I wish, Mr. Dilip!” roared Hardik Pandya, his laughter echoing across the turf as he plucked towering catches from the night sky.
Still, there was a distinct contrast between the yelling and banter. While the group was focused on collective joy, Sanju Samson seemed to operate in another time zone—one intense, almost solitary focus.
It wasn’t just Dilip who timed the ball well. As the field practice decreased, the top four padded up.
Ishan Kishan. Sanju Samson. Tilak Varma. Suryakumar Yadav. Photos of India Today
Abhishek Sharma was a notable absentee. The Indian opener missed training on Tuesday as he continued to recover from a stomach-related illness suffered during the opening match against the USA in Mumbai on Saturday. This was reported by India Today sources Abhishek was hospitalized on Monday in the capital.
SAMSON vs ISHAN: AN AUDIBLE CONTRAST
On Tuesday, Samson was batting alongside the man who replaced him in the playing XI – and the man he could still play for on Thursday – Ishan Kishan.
However, the contrast was audible.
The sound of Kishan’s bat echoed through the empty stands of the Kotla; he was in the middle of it all, Pepperidge smashing balls into mid-wicket and long-on. Samson, on the other hand, looked like a man searching for a rhythm he refused to find. Against the pace of Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, Samson was hesitant, lacking the signature flow that usually defines his game.
The switch to spin nets midway through the session brought some respite. Faced with the guile of Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, Samson looked more at home and found his footwork. But the overarching narrative remained: while the rest of the team played with the freedom of men secured in their places, Samson batted with the weight of a man aware that his margin for error had disappeared.
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Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate offered an honest assessment of the goalkeeper’s predicament.
“At this level, honesty and transparency are vital. Sanju has my full support,” he said.
“We tried him in the middle order, then he got into contention again. But when someone else comes in and performs as well as they did, the choice is obvious.
“That means there are a few games to win and every member of the team is key. Sanju’s attitude has been excellent. He trains well and is positive in the group.”
However, a positive presence rarely regains a starting spot. Samson seemed to know this.
SILENCE IN THE STORM
Sanju Samson with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak (PTI Photo)
When his scheduled clean time ended, he didn’t head to the ice bath. Instead, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak took him aside for twenty minutes of specialist, high-intensity throws along the boundary rope. Their constant, hushed discussions were in stark relief from the boisterous celebrations taking place elsewhere on the field. The session ended with a warm hug and a firm pat on the back from Kotak – a silent exhortation to stay optimistic and wait for the gap to open.
Even then Samson lingered. For a long moment he stood alone in the middle of the ground, silently observing the rest of the group train. In a stadium full of noise and movement, he seemed to be soaking in lonely vibrations, a man apart from the very machinery he desperately wanted to return to.
Will there be a change on Thursday? It could. India would be reluctant to rush Abhishek back into the XI ahead of Sunday’s bigger game against Pakistan.
What seemed clear, however, was that the wicket-taking duties would remain with Ishan. The SunRisers Hyderabad batsman underwent a light practice session after the extended batting session on Tuesday.
WHO ELSE WORKED IN THE BOILER ON TUESDAY
Photo by PTI
Return of Sundar
Washington Sundar had his first full practice since recovering from a rib muscle tear. He looked sharp, casting a neat spell before showing off his power with several hits into the stands.
The Power Hitters
Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube turned the second half of the match into a private domestic derby. Hardik was in the engine room and bowled a long spell before unleashing monstrous sixes that sent the Delhi officials into the stands to retrieve the balls. To top it off, Dube was in mad hitting form; he threw himself into the spinners, took a particular liking to Kuldeep Yadav and cleared the ropes with ease.
Bumrah back to Full Tilt
After Jasprit Bumrah missed the USA match due to illness, he went full steam ahead. He is expected to replace Mohammed Siraj against Namibia to find his rhythm ahead of high-stakes Pakistan in Colombo.
Finishers
inku Singh and Axar Patel focused on late-innings power-hitting, while back-rowers Arshdeep and Chakravarthy also worked on their cameos, reflecting the team’s demand for lower-order versatility.
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– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
February 11, 2026