T20 World Cup: Including Samson in the mix has been discussed: Kotak

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak discusses potential changes, including Sanju Samson's inclusion, after India's T20 loss to South Africa.

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said that the Indian team, after its 76-run loss to South Africa, has been discussing Sanju Samson’s inclusion in the playing XI to break the left-heavy top-order (Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma).

“There can be changes, yes. It goes without saying that we discussed [team combination]. The opposition is bowling off-spin because our openers and No. 3 are lefties. I don’t think that there is any problem there either. But because we lost the last game and we have lost a wicket in the first over [often], any team would think [along those lines],” Kotak said on Wednesday (February 25, 2026), on the eve of India’s ICC T20 World Cup Super Eight game against Zimbabwe at the MAC Stadium.

On Abhishek’s recent rut, the 53-year-old said: “I never liked overthinking about one individual as we are playing with two all-rounders and six batters.”

When asked if there was panic in the ranks, Kotak was quick to point out India’s superb record in T20Is.

“There is no tension of Tilak or Abhishek, or even of us losing one match. We shouldn’t analyse that [SA loss] too much,” he said. “All the matches are must-win for us. If you want to go and win the World Cup, you expect to beat all the sides you play.”

On the Men in Blue’s batting approach, Kotak added: “In T20s, if you worry too much about temperament and not play your shots freely, there will be other [problems]. Only if you lose a couple of wickets, you have to try and play normal cricket for the next six to eight balls.”