Ishan Kishan or Sanju Samson: Who should open for India in 4th T20I vs New Zealand?

As India prepare for the 4th T20I against New Zealand, the opening spot is up for debate. Should Ishan Kishan or Sanju Samson partner at the top?

Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson (Image Credit: BCCI)

The Indian cricket team has made a few changes to the playing XI in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. Unlike the previous series, Sanju Samson has been brought back into the team as an opener, along with Ishan Kishan at No. 3 position. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav sacrificed his position for Kishan, who played for India after two years and two months.

In the process, Shubman Gill was dropped from the squad, both for the New Zealand series and the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. As Samson retained his original position in the series, everybody hoped for him to give his best, play some impactful knocks, and give a stern answer to the selectors and the critics.

Also read: Suryakumar Yadav breaks silence on Abhishek, Kishan's way of batting vs NZ, 'They made my job very easy'

On the contrary, the right-handed batter has failed to impress the crowd, failing to score anything above 20-run mark in the first three games. So far, he has scored 10, 6, and 0 in three innings. Despite getting multiple chances in the past few years, Samson's performance hasn't been extra-ordinary.

In the year 2025, he has scored 222 runs in 15 games at an average of 20.18. The stats doesn't do justice to the amount of chances he has gotten in the T20I set-up. The selectors have entrusted him with the opening slot, but the satisfactory results haven't been seen lately. But, the performance in 2024 was far better. In 13 matches, he slammed 436 runs at an average of 43.60, including three centuries and one half-century.

Should Ishan Kishan open in 4th T20I match against New Zealand?

India's left-hand batter, Ishan Kishan, came into the international set-up after a hiatus of two years. After performing consistently in the domestic tournaments and winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 for Jharkhand as the captain, he finally managed to grab the attention of the selectors. After his century in the SMAT 2025 final, he was called by the selectors for the New Zealand series and the World Cup.

His redemption arc has been unforgettable as he started the New Zealand series with a boundary. While he couldn't convert two boundaries into something big in the first match, the 27-year-old didn't hold back in the second match. He slammed 76 off 32 balls, including 11 boundaries and four sixes. In the third game, he scored 28 off 13 balls.

Ever since he has made comeback in the Indian team, he has played like a beast, treating some of the best bowlers harshly with the bat. As Kishan seems to be in a terrific form, the management should consider changing the batting order a bit, that can help them in the long run.

Also read: KL Rahul addresses retirement talk amid speculation over his future, 'I'm not that important'

If they keep aside the left-right combination, Kishan and Abhishek Sharma could be a great opening option, followed by Tilak Varma or Shreyas Iyer at No. 3 position. This way, the pressure will fall less on the middle and lower middle order players since the top order looks sorted. Samson's form is shaky and with the World Cup coming up, a strong batting line-up would be of great help, especially in the knockouts.

Where to watch IND vs NZ matches?

Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand 4th T20I game on January 28 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.

Also read: Former India bowler blames Test series loss against SA on Kohli-Rohit transition, makes eye-opening claim

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