Sanju Samson T20I future was on the line way before the first ball of the chase was hurled at New Zealand in the fourth T20I at Visakhapatnam and the omens were faint, yet indicative. It was another gamble to the player whose international career has been usually alternated between promise and uncertainty like a coin tested with his international career being debated as a result of the end.

The openers of India walked out and Sanju Samson T20I future was put on immediate consideration. In normal circumstances, Samson is not hesitant to strike first. As a matter of fact, he has encountered the opening ball 18 times out of 21 past T20I innings as an opener. This time he just slowly drifted to the other end of the non-striker and Abhishek Sharma took the guard. It was a little touch, but spoke a lot. This was the final thing that Samson had done in July 2024, and the recurrence now suggested the presence of a vein of doubt about his job.

First, the context matters. Samson has experienced pressure in spite of a robust body of work not so long ago. In late 2024, he seemingly at last settled on the opening slot in which he batted three hundreds in five innings and demonstrated the confident strokeplay that India prize at the top of the list. That was a run that made him appear a natural to the role especially with someone on the left hand like Abhishek. There was a moment when it appeared that his place was safe.

Nevertheless, it is seldom that international cricket permits the leisure of stability. The management of the team tried the experiment of reinstating Shubman Gill in the starting position with Abhishek Sharma before the 2025 Asia Cup. Samson was shoved down the pyramid, requested to change once more, and had to tune his instrument in a form where rhythm and clarity are all. With the attempt to make himself at home, the Gill experiment was privately shoved aside and Samson requested to go back to the top. This form of movement is something that the last thing a batter desires in T20 cricket where confidence is golden compared to technique.

The pressure revealed itself soon, when the New Zealand was pitted against in Visakhapatnam. Samson slipped negotiation at the seamers fairly well, with an appearance that was watchful, as well as non-fluent. But with the introduction of Mitchell Santner, there could be no margin of error. Samson vulnerably left himself already outside his leg stump. On a good length Santner delivered a ball which maintained its line sufficiently, struck the outside edge and bounced into the middle stump. It was a sacking which emphasized indecision and not deficiency.

The response was eloquent as the wicket. The disillusion was evident as Samson returned to the pavilion with heavy stride. This was one of the opportunities he was missing, not only during a particular scenario of the match but in a wider context of plotting his future in Sanju Samson T20I. With options abounding in a team, mere failure is apt to have greater weight than the single success.

Still, the pain of the possibility of losing his position transcends this lean run. Samson has already felt the exasperation of being part of a World Cup winning team and not being able to play a minute. When India won the T20 World Cup 2024 with a winning campaign, he was left behind with Rishabh Pant being favored to play the wicketkeeper. It was sweet to be within the bench during a historic win and is a circumstance that Samson might be looking forward to escape as the next World Cup comes near.

There is not much time to spare with the remaining single T20 match and a warm-up prior to the next international tournament. The spot competition is also stiff and the selectors will hardly provide the extended rope at this point. As much as Samson is an undeniable talent, recent influence and roles are now being favoured by modern selection policies more than previous accomplishments.

Last but not the least, a bigger question with regard to Sanju Samson T20I future lies in transparency and confidence. No Indian batters have been hunted up and down the hierarchy so often, in the position and in anticipation. Such instability in a volatile format such as T20Is may have a disastrous effect on the self-esteem of the most talented player. The next few weeks may be either the decision making point on whether Samson would have another opportunity or be back on the sidelines.

In the case of Samson, the new problem is very easy but ruthless: the next opportunity must count, should there be one. Otherwise, his international future might be again influenced by what could have been done, but not what he can provide.

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