T20 World Cup Live: Do-or-die match in Kolkata; Eye of India semi-final berth

As India prepares for a must-win 2026 T20 World Cup Super 8 match against West Indies, former batting coach Sanjay Bangar has backed Sanju Samson to continue his start. Bangal believes Samson’s presence has brought better balance and intention to India’s batting line-up at crucial stages of the game.

Bangal emphasized the tactical value of the right-hander opening, especially in a batting order where lefties dominate. He explained that the move limits the opponent’s ability to rely heavily on off-spin bowling early in the innings. Bangal told Jio Hotstar: “With the right-handers at the top, India deprived the opponents of the opportunity to use off-spin. It’s not necessarily the off-spinners who are causing a lot of problems for the left-handers. It’s just the batsmen trying to impose problems on them and getting out in the process.”

He further emphasized the importance of maintaining a left-right combination. “It’s a good combination because if you have three right-handers in the front seven, you can keep the left-right combination and deny the opponent the opportunity to use four overs off-spin,” he added.

Bangal also praised Samson for his proactive approach in the previous match against Zimbabwe. India had struggled to build partnerships earlier in the tournament, averaging less than 10 runs in the first four or five games. According to Bangal, Samson’s positive intentions helped change that trend. “I thought Sanju Samson was very proactive and moved a lot at the crease. Because of that, he created opportunities to score runs and, in that sense, gave India the start they were looking for,” he said.

He added, “Before the match against Zimbabwe, India’s average opening partnership in four or five games was less than 10 runs. So, the way he played gave Abhishek time to adapt and by then India had made a good start.”

Samson scored 24 quick runs off 15 balls and also impressed with a sharp catch behind the stumps.