“Definitely Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma.” That’s how India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav responded when asked who’ll open for India against South Africa in the 10th warm-up match before the T20 World Cup 2026.
It was a clear sign that the Indian management wasn’t keen on Sanju Samson anymore. The keeper batter from Kerala had disappointed against New Zealand. 46 runs in 5 innings aren’t enough. Especially when your main competitor smashed 215 at a strike rate of 231.18 in one fewer innings.
Samson was given the entire 5-match series to prove himself. Give the management a reason to stick with him instead of picking Kishan over him. But he failed. Suryakumar didn’t confirm who would open with Abhishek when India last played against New Zealand on January 31.
Ishan Kishan rains sixes in Navi Mumbai
But 4 days in Navi Mumbai, he basically confirmed that Kishan will be India’s second opener for the T20 World Cup. And boy did Kishan prove him right. The destructive southpaw opener smashed a 20-ball fifty against South Africa’s bowling lineup, which consisted of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Marco Jansen.
Kishan was on song from the get-go. He started with smoking Lungi Ngidi for 2 sixes in the first over. He continued but really teed off against Nortje in the 4th over. Kishan struck 5 boundaries (4 sixes and 1 four). Over covers, fine leg and long on, he hit the ball everywhere.
He deposited Kwena Maphaka over deep square leg in the last over of the powerplay and brought up his half-century from just 20 balls. He was enough for the Indian management, and Kishan was retired out by Suryakumar, with Tilak Varma coming to bat in his place.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vc), Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav
