Sanju Samson is likely to feature in India’s playing XI for the 4th T20I against South Africa after Shubman Gill was ruled out of today’s match due to a foot injury.
Gill’s absence has forced the team management to reshuffle the batting order, and Samson emerges as the most straightforward replacement, given his role as a wicketkeeper-batter and his experience in the middle order. The decision is also aligned with India’s broader objective of testing combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Gill picked up a foot injury and was declared unavailable as a precautionary measure. With cold and foggy conditions in Lucknow and a packed international calendar ahead, the team management opted not to risk aggravating the injury.
Sanju Samson, who has been on the fringes of the playing XI in recent matches, now has an opportunity to make a strong case for himself. With questions already surrounding India’s batting consistency in the series, Samson’s inclusion could provide stability as well as flexibility, especially if India needs an additional wicketkeeping option or a batter capable of accelerating in the middle overs.
While the final XI will only be confirmed at the toss, Samson is widely expected to slot in, either as a direct replacement in the batting order or as part of a minor reshuffle depending on team balance.
India, currently focused on both winning the series and fine-tuning combinations for the T20 World Cup, are expected to use this match as another opportunity to assess depth and adaptability within the squad.
