‘He goes too deep in the crease’: Gavaskar flags Samson’s flaw ahead of India-Pakistan clash
New Delhi, Feb 13 : Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar pointed out technical flaws in Sanju Samson’s approach after the wicket-keeper batter threw his wicket on 22 runs against Namibia, in India's second match of the T20 World Cup 2026, played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
Gavaskar said Samson’s tendency to go too deep inside the crease while attempting the flick shot is causing problems at the top of the order.
"Sanju Samson has a technical problem. He goes too deep in the crease and plays that flick shot. You can only hope he times it in the gap, or it goes for a six. He needs to make improvements, especially when he opens against the new ball. Namibia were clever with their field placements. They set a field to get Samson out. But it was good that he hit some nice shots. That must have given him some confidence. If he plays the next match against Pakistan, he needs to spend more time at the crease." Gavaskar told Jio Star.
Gavaskar also spoke about India’s bowling combinations and hinted at possible changes for the high-voltage clash against Pakistan.
"Captain Suryakumar Yadav was experimenting against Namibia with the Pakistan game in mind. Hardik's bowling in the first over suggests Arshdeep may not play in the next match against Pakistan. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled only two overs and would have taken five or six wickets if he bowled his full four overs," he said.
"The best part about Varun is that he gets wickets whenever he is asked to bowl. Axar Patel took two wickets in three overs; it’s a good sign. All our bowlers picked up wickets. Arshdeep did not complete his four overs, while Shivam Dube bowled two, and Hardik completed his quota. This hints that Kuldeep Yadav could replace Arshdeep against Pakistan. Sri Lanka pitches help spinners, and India has a history of playing three spinners. Expect Kuldeep in the XI against Pakistan in Colombo," he added.
While Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel weighed in on India’s spin options and backed Kuldeep Yadav to feature against Pakistan.
"It is good news that Washington Sundar is back. He is a tempting option against Pakistan. But my concern is that he has not played T20I cricket for a long time. He was injured, rushed to get fit for the World Cup, and then did not play the first two matches against the USA and Namibia. Suddenly, you want to play him against Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan have many left-handers like Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf," he said.
"So, India does have options. But I feel Kuldeep Yadav should play because he comes with a guarantee of wickets. Pakistan do not play spin well, and Kuldeep knows how to dismiss the Pakistani batters. In the last Asia Cup final, he took four wickets. I would love to see a Kuldeep Yadav masterclass against Pakistan one more time," Parthiv Patel added.
Gavaskar said Samson’s tendency to go too deep inside the crease while attempting the flick shot is causing problems at the top of the order.
"Sanju Samson has a technical problem. He goes too deep in the crease and plays that flick shot. You can only hope he times it in the gap, or it goes for a six. He needs to make improvements, especially when he opens against the new ball. Namibia were clever with their field placements. They set a field to get Samson out. But it was good that he hit some nice shots. That must have given him some confidence. If he plays the next match against Pakistan, he needs to spend more time at the crease." Gavaskar told Jio Star.
Gavaskar also spoke about India’s bowling combinations and hinted at possible changes for the high-voltage clash against Pakistan.
"Captain Suryakumar Yadav was experimenting against Namibia with the Pakistan game in mind. Hardik's bowling in the first over suggests Arshdeep may not play in the next match against Pakistan. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled only two overs and would have taken five or six wickets if he bowled his full four overs," he said.
"The best part about Varun is that he gets wickets whenever he is asked to bowl. Axar Patel took two wickets in three overs; it’s a good sign. All our bowlers picked up wickets. Arshdeep did not complete his four overs, while Shivam Dube bowled two, and Hardik completed his quota. This hints that Kuldeep Yadav could replace Arshdeep against Pakistan. Sri Lanka pitches help spinners, and India has a history of playing three spinners. Expect Kuldeep in the XI against Pakistan in Colombo," he added.
While Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel weighed in on India’s spin options and backed Kuldeep Yadav to feature against Pakistan.
"It is good news that Washington Sundar is back. He is a tempting option against Pakistan. But my concern is that he has not played T20I cricket for a long time. He was injured, rushed to get fit for the World Cup, and then did not play the first two matches against the USA and Namibia. Suddenly, you want to play him against Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan have many left-handers like Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf," he said.
"So, India does have options. But I feel Kuldeep Yadav should play because he comes with a guarantee of wickets. Pakistan do not play spin well, and Kuldeep knows how to dismiss the Pakistani batters. In the last Asia Cup final, he took four wickets. I would love to see a Kuldeep Yadav masterclass against Pakistan one more time," Parthiv Patel added.