India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has firmly backed wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, asserting that a brief period of low scores has not diminished the team management's faith in his abilities. Samson has faced challenges in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand, accumulating just 40 runs from four innings at an average of 10. Despite these statistics, Kotak emphasized that the coaching staff views this as a temporary setback rather than a decline in Samson's skill.
Kotak's Strong Support for Samson
Addressing the media ahead of the fifth T20I, Kotak highlighted Samson's experience and quality. "Sanju is a senior player, he is very good. He probably has not scored as many runs as everybody would like, but that's part of the cricketing career. Sometimes you have five innings in a row where you score so many runs and sometimes you have a little tight period," Kotak stated. He stressed that Samson enjoys the full support of the think tank during this difficult phase.
"It's all up to an individual how to keep his mind strong and, obviously, our job is to keep him in a good frame of mind. He is practicing and he is working hard, so we all know what Sanju is capable of. I don't think anything more to say about Sanju because he has been really good," Kotak added. This confidence was evident during training at the Greenfield Stadium, where Samson spent nearly 30 minutes batting in the nets. He faced side-armers Hari and Raghu, followed by left-arm spinner Axar Patel, and later engaged in discussions with head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel.
Importance of the Series for T20 World Cup
Kotak underscored the significance of the recent white-ball fixtures as India fine-tunes its preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He described the series against New Zealand and South Africa as crucial building blocks. "It's been a very important series for us. It is obviously useful because before the World Cup you kind of start getting into a rhythm, you start finding the combinations and you try and give players an opportunity," he explained.
"All that you can do when we are playing. So, these five games, and obviously, before that South Africa series is also very useful for us," Kotak noted, highlighting the strategic value of these matches in shaping the team's dynamics and player roles.
Team Updates and Player Insights
Regarding team selection, Kotak indicated that Ishan Kishan is likely to return for the final T20I after missing the previous match due to injury. "Ishan Kishan has always been good whenever he got an opportunity. Sometimes wicketkeeper batters don't get opportunities. But whenever Ishan has played, he has always done well," he said. "And very likely he will play, at the moment, as far as I know. The physio is here for practice. So, physios will take a call. But I feel very likely."
Kotak praised the aggressive approach of players like Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma, which has allowed India to maintain an attacking mindset throughout the series. He particularly commended Abhishek's clarity and technique, noting that his strokeplay is based on solid fundamentals rather than reckless hitting. "He does speak to Gautam, he does speak to me and Surya and some other players also. So, he is very open to everything," Kotak said, adding that Abhishek's shots are played "on merit of the ball" with strong basics.
Additionally, Kotak expressed satisfaction with captain Suryakumar Yadav's return to form, marked by consecutive half-centuries after a quiet period. "There will be a dry patch in T20s and you still have to go hard, you still have to play for the team, which is what he did. So glad that he got a good two innings, that's a good sign for the team anyway," he remarked.
If selected for the upcoming match, it will mark Samson's first international appearance at his home venue, adding a personal milestone to the team's strategic focus on World Cup readiness.
