Former cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath has sparked a fresh debate over India’s batting combination ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, suggesting that Sanju Samson should retain his place ahead of Ishan Kishan in India’s opening encounter at the global tournament. 

Badrinath’s comments come amid ongoing discussions about India’s top-order balance, particularly with Samson’s place under scrutiny despite being part of the World Cup squad. The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that, once Tilak Varma comes back, Kishan will have to vacate the No. 3 spot, while the Kerala cricketer looks set to retain his spot as an opener.

"It's about time the Indian team makes a decision. If Sanju Samson is going to open in the World Cup, which I think he will, he should play in both the remaining games (against NZ). They won't make a change just for these two matches. Even if Tilak Varma comes, his position is No.3. So, he should come in place of Ishan Kishan," Badrinath said via Star Sports.

"This is the process I'll follow because he (Samson) needs confidence. If there is one person in the Indian team searching for confidence, it's Sanju Samson, given he's going to be your keeper for the World Cup. So I won't push the panic button just yet. He's a good player, which is why you've selected and backed him," he added.  

Sanju has struggled in the ongoing T20I series against the BlackCaps, only managing to score a mere 16 runs in the first three matches. Kishan, on the other hand, has made a triumphant return to Indian colours with a string of impressive performances.

Cometh the hour, Samson will come good: Badrinath

The ex-India batter further urged the Suryakumar Yadav-led side to trust the 31-year-old cricketer ahead of the marquee event, believing that Samson will deliver the performances when it matters.

"Cometh the hour, he'll come good. So I won't dig in too much. T20 cricket is a high-risk game. Many players are in very good form, whereas Sanju hasn't scored in a couple of games. That's fine, without digging in too much, it's best to stick to the process and back him," Badrinath concluded.

With the T20 World Cup on the horizon and the form not being on Samson's side, it will be extremely interesting to see how the stumper-batter is able to give back the returns of the faith shown in him by the management.