Sanju Samson has been struggling to score runs in the ongoing five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand. His form has actually been on a downward spiral since last year. In 2025, he played 15 T20Is and scored 22 runs at an average of 20.18. So far in 2026, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter has played four T20Is, scoring 40 runs.
Despite being in a lean phase, Samson received support from former India all-rounder Suresh Raina. The latter believes that Samson should be backed in the same way that Suryakumar Yadav was when he was not getting runs.
Raina emphasised that Samson's experience and past performances, especially his tons in South Africa, prove he belongs in the international arena. He argued that the "top four" will have a key role to play for the Men in Blue during the T20 World Cup. Raina heaped praise on Sunrisers Hyderabad SRH batters Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma for going after the bowling from ball one.
