India vs Pakistan: Why is Sanju Samson not Playing in T20 World Cup IND vs PAK match Today?

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The wait is over! The toss for the high-voltage India vs Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup 2026 has taken place, and fans were quick to notice a big change in the Indian lineup.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is not part of the playing XI for today's match in Colombo, as he has been replaced by Abhishek Sharma.

The Return of Abhishek Sharma

The primary reason for Sanju Samson's exclusion is the return of India's first-choice opener, Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek had missed the previous match against Namibia due to a stomach illness. In his absence, Sanju Samson was given a chance to open the batting. However, now that Abhishek has fully recovered and is fit to play, the team management has decided to bring him straight back into the side. Captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed the changes at the toss, stating that Abhishek Sharma is back to take his spot at the top of the order.

Why is Sanju Samson not playing in India vs Pakistan Match Today?

In the match against Namibia, Sanju Samson had a golden opportunity to make a mark. However, he could only score 22 runs off 8 balls before getting out. While he showed intent, he failed to play a big innings. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar had also pointed out a technical issue in Samson's batting before this match.

"Sanju Samson has a technical problem. He goes too deep in the crease and plays that flick shot... He needs to make improvements, especially when he opens against the new ball," Gavaskar remarked.

With Abhishek Sharma's explosive form and successful track record over the last year, it was always going to be difficult for Samson to hold onto his spot once the regular opener was fit. Dropping Samson wasn't the only change India made. To suit the spin-friendly conditions of the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, India also brought in chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav and dropped Arshdeep Singh.

India's Playing XI vs Pakistan:

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.