Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson (ANI Photo) As Team India embarks on a new cycle that will culminate in the ODI World Cup next year, will Sanju and Ishan’s T20 World Cup heroics be good enough to make them contenders in the squad?The bubbly euphoria of the T20 World Cup triumph was still overflowing when Gautam Gambhir was asked if India’s current white-ball generation is the best in the business. The coach was at his best when he said, “I’m not so sure when you’ve lost two bilateral ODI series recently.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The clues were pretty clear. Winning the T20 World Cup is fine, but it’s time to look forward as India will be judged on their ODI performances over the next year and a half. Reason: ODI World Cup in South Africa in October-November 2027.While India’s T20 team has been a force of nature for the past few years, the ODI team has stuttered a bit. While Mr. Matchwinner for India, Jasprit Bumrah hasn’t played a single ODI since the 2023 World Cup final, the results haven’t always been so convincing.
Gautam Gambhir reflects on India’s World Cup win and Sanju Samson’s support in the tournament
In 2024, India lost an ODI series in Sri Lanka, one in Australia in 2025 and one at home to New Zealand earlier this year. In between there was a Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai, but those matches were played in design-friendly conditions that will not be repeated in South Africa.
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Should Sanju Samson be included in the ODI setup for the upcoming World Cup?
This brings us to a pertinent question – is India missing something in the ODI format?Given the way new-age whiteball cricket is played, one might be tempted to say that it is the explosiveness in the batting department that may be an area of debate. Of course, ODIs are not T20s – which is mostly sixth-gear cricket – and you need some balance in the 50-over format. Still, it won’t be a bad time to ask if some of the T20 superstars, who have the longer format to play, shouldn’t be watched in ODIs ahead of the World Cup. Two obvious names that may come up for immediate discussion are Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. Sanju has made the difference in the most important stages of the T20 World Cup, while Ishan is a proven player in 50 overs – boasting a top score of 210 in ODIs. Sanju, on the other hand, has an impressive ODI average of 56.66 and a strike-rate of 99.60.Former India batsman WV Raman feels that Sanju has all the elements in his game that can ensure him success in ODIs. “He is a great player and whatever issues he had with his character, he has sorted it out. I am confident that Sanju has the game to succeed in ODIs,” Raman told TOI.But then the question arises: Where is the vacancy? Sanju is essentially an opener and India’s two current ODI openers are Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Rohit has been a bit up and down in the only format he plays while Shubman captains the team. Former national voter Devang Gandhi added Yashasvi Jaiswal’s name to the list. “Next in line is Jaiswal and when the slot opens, how can you give someone a chance before him? I have nothing against Samson, but let him come back to domestic one-day cricket and then try for an ODI comeback. That’s how the selectors should think,” Gandhi said.However, Raman is an advocate of supporting a player when he is in form. “It is up to the team management to find a place for Sanju. For me, Sanju is good enough for ODIs,” said Raman.Ishan, meanwhile, may have a little more flexibility in finding a place. The Jharkhand left-hander can play in the top three and lower down the order. Moreover, like Sanju, he is also a keeper and can be KL Rahul’s deputy. “But then there is Rishabh Pant. What did Pant do wrong to be dropped from the ODI set-up? We are talking about very talented young players and they should be handled with care,” Gandhi said.Indian cricket will dive deep into the IPL in a couple of weeks and going by the recent trend, performances in the two-month tournament will become a serious benchmark for selection across formats.Ishan, playing at No.3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Sanju, opening the batting for his new side Chennai Super Kings, will have the opportunity to break down all the selection doors.But Gandhi argues that this should not be the case.“Remember, there are hardly any fielders in T20. Containment is the aim of every bowler. It’s not always the case in ODIs,” said the former India opener.
For full list of matches, venues and timings, see IPL 2026 Full Schedule, Schedules and Team Match Dates here.
