Gavaskar Points to Sanju Samson's Footwork Failure in 24-Run Knock vs NZ

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson came under sharp criticism after his dismissal for 24 in the fourth T20I against New Zealand, as India suffered a 50-run defeat. Legendary former India captain Sunil Gavaskar highlighted Samson’s footwork as a major concern, saying the batter “hardly moved his feet” and left himself exposed to Mitchell Santner’s delivery.

Samson started positively but fell for 24 off 15 balls, contributing to a string of low scores—he has managed just 40 runs in his last four T20Is. Gavaskar noted, “Going outside leg-stump, once again exposing all three stumps—and when you miss, the bowler’s going to hit. That’s what happened to Sanju Samson for the second time around.” With Ishan Kishan performing strongly at No. 3, Samson’s position in the T20 World Cup squad is now under scrutiny.

Chasing New Zealand’s 215/7, India’s innings began well but faltered despite notable contributions from Shivam Dube (65 off 23 balls) and Rinku Singh (39 off 30 balls). New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner led the bowling effort with figures of 3/26, while Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav picked up two wickets each.

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The defeat marked a disappointing end to India’s T20 series, raising fresh questions over middle-order stability and Samson’s consistency at the top level. Gavaskar’s comments emphasized the urgent need for technical refinement, particularly in footwork, to succeed against quality spin in high-pressure situations.

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