Sitanshu Kotak Backs Sanju Samson to Make Impact at T20 World Cup 2026

Sitanshu Kotak has backed Sanju Samson amid form concerns, while a fitness assessment will decide Ishan Kishan’s participation in the fifth T20I.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has confirmed the team management will continue to back Sanju Samson despite a difficult run. Samson has scored 40 runs from four matches in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand. His average stands at 10 so far. Kotak said form fluctuations are common and do not change the team’s belief in the batter.

Kotak added that the support staff remains focused on keeping Samson mentally strong. Ahead of the final T20I, Samson spent nearly 30 minutes batting at the nets at the Greenfield Stadium. He faced side-arm bowlers Hari and Raghu before taking on left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Samson later held discussions with head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel.

“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 told the media ahead of the final T20I.

“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,” he added.

Ishan Kishan Likely to Return for Series Finale

Sitanshu Kotak also indicated that Ishan Kishan is likely to return for the fifth T20I on Saturday. Kishan missed the fourth match due to a minor injury. Team medical staff will make the final call after assessing him during practice. Kotak said Kishan has consistently delivered when given chances, especially during the power play.

“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. The way he played two innings was really encouraging because in power play, you are looking for someone to play the way he played,” 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 added.

Sitanshu Kotak Praises Abhishek Sharma’s Basics

The coach then praised Abhishek Sharma’s batting intent. He highlighted the opener’s strong basics and ability to play shots on merit.

“Obviously, it is his plans, what he wants to do. But we definitely discuss what pace to bowl and what areas to bowl (at nets), and what would be the better shot if it doesn’t go fine. But he is a very clever player, definitely he does think.” Kotak said the biggest strength of Abhishek was his strong basics. He does speak to Gautam, he does speak to me and Surya and some other players also. So, he is very open to everything. He is someone who plays a lot of shots. But his shots don’t seem like somebody is slogging,” Sitanshu Kotak said.

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“It seems like he is playing more on merit of the ball and has strong basics. So for me, I feel it’s very important when you are an aggressive batsman,” he noted.

Back-to-back Fifties Lift Captain’s Confidence

In the same discussion, Sitanshu Kotak welcomed Suryakumar Yadav’s return to form after consecutive fifties. He said impactful shorter innings matter as much as big scores in T20 cricket. Kotak then added that Suryakumar’s recent form boosts confidence ahead of key matches.

“For a long time, he has been T20’s best batsman, number one batsman. So, we always knew that he would score runs. But in T20s, somebody scores 60, 70, and we think he played a good inning. For us, if somebody scores 25, it may be more important than those 60 runs. So, he, obviously, had some impactful innings in different matches. But consistently, the way he scored runs before, that was something we all were waiting for,” he said.

“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,” Sitanshu Kotak concluded.

The fifth and final match of the series will be played in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, January 31. India have already sealed the series with a 3–1 lead over New Zealand.