India got their new T20 opener on Wednesday with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma coming in the first innings as the Men in Blue took on South Africa in the only warm-up match ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. India won the coin toss with captain Suryakumar Yadav electing to bat first.In the toss, Suryakumar confirmed the change in the batting order, suggesting a possible setback to Sanju Samson’s World Cup plans. The India skipper said Ishan Kishan will open the batting along with Abhishek Sharma, leaving Samson out of the opening slot.“We will bat first. This is something we have been doing well. There may be some dew later in the evening and we want to test our bowlers in challenging conditions and defend the total, whatever we get,” Suryakumar said while bowling.Follow real-time updatesWhen asked about the opening combination at home and handling the pressure, the India skipper made the team’s plans clear. “Of course Ishan and Abhishek. [On dealing with pressure and expectations] Look, I think when you play at home in India, you have expectations. But at the same time you have so many people in the stadium cheering you on, I think that gives you an extra advantage,” he added.Sanju Samson’s stance has been under scrutiny for months. Ahead of Asia Cup 2025, Samson and Abhishek Sharma have started the innings and made solid returns. However, the team management later included Shubman Gill in the squad, which pushed Samson to the middle order. The change affected Samson’s output and calls for him to resume his starting role grew louder.Gill’s lack of runs and poor scoring rate led the selectors to bring back Ishan Kishan after a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season. Samson then got another chance to take the lead but managed just 49 runs in five innings against New Zealand. In the same series, Kishan batted at No. 3 and scored his first T20I century.With Tilak Varma returning to the team, the management has now decided to move Kishan into the starting lineup. The switch leaves Samson with no clear spot in the starting lineup. Earlier, a hint of the team’s thinking was also given when Kishan was asked to save a wicket in the fifth T20I.The warm-up decision has raised questions whether Samson’s chances of being named in the T20 World Cup XI are slipping, with the captain’s “definitely Ishan” comment underlining the current pecking order at the top.
