Sanju Samson looks the simplest plug-in should Abhishek Sharma not shake off the stomach bug that put him in hospital this week. India meet Namibia tomorrow in Delhi and, at the moment, the selectors are keeping two team sheets handy.
Abhishek was admitted on Tuesday evening, discharged on Wednesday and is “doing well”, according to team-mate Tilak Varma. “When we reached Delhi, he went to hospital for an examination,” Tilak said. “He has been discharged today and he is doing well. We have got one more day for the g….” The youngster’s sentence trailed off, but the point was clear: the camp will wait until the morning of the match before making the final call.
If Abhishek is ruled out, Samson is the obvious replacement. He is the only spare specialist opener in the squad and has spent the last two days hitting thousands – well, many – of throw-downs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium nets. On Wednesday he had a prolonged hit-out against a fully recovered Jasprit Bumrah. Gautam Gambhir, Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar all lingered close by, nodding and occasionally offering a word. It looked, to the naked eye, like an audition.
There is, admittedly, a left-field option. Washington Sundar, fresh from a rib injury, was back bowling and batting on Tuesday. The management like the extra spin-bowling cover he offers on a surface that can get low. You could shuffle the order, push Ruturaj Gaikwad up and slide Washington into the middle. It is not Plan A, but it has been whispered.
Samson’s current numbers do not shout for selection: 268 runs in 16 innings since January 2025, averaging 16.75 with a strike-rate of 128.22. Those figures persuaded the coaches to move on to Ishan Kishan shortly before the T20 World Cup. Yet they have not forgotten last October, when Samson blasted a 40-ball hundred against Bangladesh – the third-quickest by an Indian in the format. They also value continuity; reshuffling the entire top order on match-day three of a tournament is rarely wise if a straight swap will do.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate was frank about the balancing act 24 hours ago. “Look, at this level, you need to be honest and transparent,” he said. “And the way the cards have fallen, Sanju’s had all the support that he could possibly have had. He went through that phase where we tried him in the middle order, and then he obviously had the reprieve where he came back.
“And unfortunately with the high level of cricket that these guys play, when someone like Ishan comes in and has a series like he has, it’s pretty obvious what the selection is going to be for that first game. But we also understand that there’s probably five or six more games that you have to win, and all 15 members are vitally crucial to our ambitions.
“And now it’s just getting Sanju feeling well within himself again, understanding where he fits into the scheme of things now: A, as an injury replacement, B, as a form replacement. You’re not going to have any hassles with Sanju – solid guy, he’s good around the group, he’s training well, he’s a good vibe around the group, and that’s what we expect from everyone in the team.”
If Samson does play, India keep their left-right balance at the top. He is quick between the wickets and strong through cover and mid-wicket, though captains have increasingly set a packed off-side ring to cramp him early. There will also be passing interest in how he handles Namibia’s left-arm seamer Ruben Trumpelmann, who swings it back and has felled right-handers early all tour.
India’s medical staff will reassess Abhishek after the team’s light optional session this evening. The player himself, we’re told, is keen to play, but the squad have learned not to gamble on stomach bugs in Delhi in February – they linger.
For the moment the squad travels with two plans in mind, Samson shadowing Abhishek in every warm-up, Washington lurking as the curveball. It should be clear by the toss which road they have taken.
