Sanju Samson, left, with India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav during a training session. File photo.
| Photo Credit: PTI
India, having sealed the five-match series in Guwahati earlier this week, will turn its attention to a few lingering concerns when it faces New Zealand in the fourth T20I at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Wednesday (January 28, 2026).
Chief among them is Sanju Samson’s form. Despite possessing undeniable talent and sound technique, the wicketkeeper-batter has failed to make his opportunities count, even on surfaces tailor-made for stroke-play.
Scores of 10 and six in the first two matches were followed by a golden duck at the Gateway of the North East, leaving him vulnerable to serious scrutiny.
What compounds Samson’s predicament is Ishan Kishan’s scorching form, his direct competitor for the opener-keeper role. The weight of expectation — which has only increased since being preferred over Shubman Gill — appears to have taken its toll, and time is fast running out for the 31-year-old to cement his position in India’s T20 setup.
India may also tweak its spin combination. Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi present strong alternatives to the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy, who have struggled to find consistency in this series, especially on a surface that can slow down as the match progresses.
Beyond that, it has been smooth sailing for the Men in Blue ahead of their World Cup title defence. The focus could now shift towards giving players on the fringes — Shreyas Iyer among them — valuable game time to build momentum and confidence in the two fixtures that remain.
Workload management is also key. Given his injury history and packed recent schedule, India might consider resting Hardik Pandya, prioritising his freshness for the T20 showpiece.
New Zealand, meanwhile, will be searching for consistency after a series marked by patchy batting and stuttering starts. The visitor has repeatedly relied on Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner to steady the ship, a dependence it will be keen to reduce.
The bowling attack has also struggled to rein in India’s aggressive batting, particularly through the middle overs and at the death, and could face another stern examination in the City of Destiny. The return of Lockie Ferguson, who has the knack of providing early breakthroughs with his pace and precision, offers some hope.
The surface here typically offers good bounce and carry early on before slowing down under lights, bringing spinners into play. Dew, as ever, is likely to be a significant factor.
In conditions where small margins can be decisive, even a dead rubber could offer telling clues.
The teams (from): India: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt.), Axar Patel (Vice-capt.), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wk) and Ravi Bishnoi.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (Capt.), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson.
Match starts at 7 p.m.
Published – January 27, 2026 07:01 pm IST
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