Sanju Samson has every reason to worry after Ishan Kishan’s explosive performance in India’s T20 World Cup warm-up against South Africa. On Wednesday, February 4, Kishan opened the batting with Abhishek Sharma following Suryakumar Yadav’s clear intention to try Kishan in the opener’s role.
Kishan rose to the occasion brilliantly, scoring 53 off just 20 balls, including two fours and seven sixes, all in the first six overs. The explosive left-hander departed after the powerplay, allowing Tilak Varma to get a valuable batting start ahead of the tournament.
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Kishan’s promotion to the opener was not just because of his spectacular form against New Zealand, where he scored 215 runs in four matches, including a 42-ball century in Thiruvananthapuram. It was also affected Samson’s struggles with formwho averaged just 9.20 in the series against the Kiwis.
On Wednesday, Kishan’s performance only strengthened his case, leaving Samson under pressure and giving the team a strong alternative at the top of the order.
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Kishan stormed into South Africa with a fearless display. He opened alongside Abhishek and unleashed a flurry of boundaries and sixes to reach his fifty in record time. A huge six to Kwen Maphak over midwicket brought up the milestone after which he departed to give Tilak Varma a chance to bat.
Kishan’s attack was not limited to a single bowler. He burst into Marc Jansen, Ngidi, Rabada and Nortje, clearing leg, mid-wicket and straight down the ground with ease. The short delivery was pulled with flair while the good length balls were lofted with perfect timing.
At the end of the over, Kishan reached his fifty, aggressiveness mixed with accuracy. His dominance underlined the devastating form he carried over from the New Zealand series, leaving the South African bowlers struggling and sending a strong message that India’s top order is firing ahead of the tournament.
India will begin their campaign on Saturday, February 7, against Monanka Patel’s USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It goes without saying that Ishan Kishan will have to play a key role if India are to become the first team to defend the Men’s Under-20 World Cup title.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
February 4, 2026