'Do we get him in' - Ryan ten Doeschate sends mixed signals regarding Sanju Samson's inclusion in match against Zimbabwe
Ryan ten Doeschate hints at uncertainty over Sanju Samson’s inclusion in India’s upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe.
Sanju after his ton against Bangladesh. Image | BCCI on X
Last Updated: 12.05 AM, Feb 23, 2026
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate gave a potential hint about bringing back Sanju Samson into the playing XI after disastrous performance from opening batters in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. While Abhishek Sharma was out on a duck thrice, Ishan Kishan went back to the pavilion by scoring a duck in today's game against South Africa.
The coach has opened up about the failures of opening pair in the tournament and whether they'll bring in Samson or not is a call for them to take. They still haven't decided yet about the playing XI for the next match.
"Four teams have opened up with part time off-spinners. It hasn't gone our way. Do we stick with players who have done well in the last 18 months or do we get Sanju in? That's a call we will take," Doeschate said in the post-match press conference.
Ten Doeschate has backed Abhishek Sharma's batting and how he was diagnosed with food poisoning during the tournament. This might have led to a failed performance. Howeve, the player has been incredible in the nets as mentioned by the coach.
"I don't want to make excuses for Abhishek or Tilak.. Abhi had a food poison. When you score 3 zeroes, it will obviously weight in. He looks short, and it is our job to make him get things right again. There's no point talking about rhythm in nets and all that, it is time to perform," he added further.
We tried to pick our best XI: Ryan ten Doeschate
India's assistant coach also opened up about why Washington Sundar was chosen over Axar Patel in the match against South Africa. They were fully prepared for Quinton de Kock, David Miller, and Ryan Rickleton and hence, playing Sundar was a better option than Axar. When it comes to batting, Axar could have been handy since he has performed well in the past as well. This decision drew a lot of criticism towards India's playing XI.
"As per our analysis, the biggest threat was Quinton de Kock, David Miller and Ryan Rickleton and that's why Washi was picked for the middle overs. We tried to best XI. If Axar played today, he would have batted in the same position as Washi," Doeschate said.
Where to watch IND vs ZIM match?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs Zimbabwe match on February 26 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.