T20 World Cup 2026: Ishan Shines, Sanju Out — What We Learned From India vs SA

T20 World Cup: Had it not been till now, India's playing XI is now certainly locked prior to the match against USA.

T20 World Cup 2026: Ishan Shines, Sanju Out — What We Learned From India vs South Africa

(Photo: BCCI)

On the consecrated soil where India were crowned world champions for the first time in history, India embarked on a campaign to earn their third world champions crown.

The statement, in isolation and without context, looks self-contradictory. So, what’s the explanation? At the DY Patil Stadium — where Harmanpreet Kaur’s India won their maiden World Cup — Suryakumar Yadav’s India commenced their journey to secure what would be the third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title for the boys. Though men donning Indian jerseys were seen playing against the USA a couple of nights prior — that was the India A team. Fans in Navi Mumbai, who, certainly, turned up in numbers akin to how they usually do for the women’s team’s matches, witnessed a spectacle orchestrated and presented by the squad who will be competing in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which begins on 7 February.

Batting first on a ground that usually favours the chasing side, in a bid to test his bowlers, Yadav’s team scored 240/5. The captain did well for a 16-ball 30, but the showstopper, as he was in the recently concluded series against New Zealand, was Ishan Kishan, courtesy of his 20-ball 53.

In response, South Africa did cross the 200-run mark, but that was all about it. Banking on Tristan Stubbs’ 21-ball 45, who proved why his selection should not have been dependant on injuries, the Proteas scored 210/7, as India secured a 30-run triumph.

But warm-up games are never as much about triumphs and tribulations, as it is about the subplots. Hence, result aside, here are the major talking points from the game:

Ishan Shines Bright, Sanju Drowning in Plight?

Ishan Kishan was not a part of the Indian team a couple of months back. Instead, he was grinding out runs — aplenty, at that — at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 517 runs, at a strike rate of almost 200, and a trophy to add to the package — Kishan deserved a place in the squad, and he was provided now.

Now, even the remotest thought of him not being in the playing XI could incite cricketing riots. On the back of a century and a 76 against New Zealand, Kishan scored a 20-ball 53 today, before being asked to provide South Africa with some respite.

What Kishan’s selection also means is that Sanju Samson’s T20 World Cup campaign might be effectively over before it even started, barring injuries. The Kerala wicketkeeper could not even get an opportunity to bat, and he might struggle to find a person to blame barring himself.

Samson scored 46 runs in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which was less than half the tally of Mitchell Santner — whose primary job, one could argue, was to bowl left-arm spin.

Had it been an isolated event, Samson perhaps could still have had a strong case in his favour. Except, since 2025, he scored 268 runs in 16 T20Is innings, at an average of merely 16.75 and a strike rate south of 130. Had today’s match not being an unofficial affair, Kishan would have surpassed Samson’s tally since 2025, despite having played about only one-fourth of his counterpart’s matches.

Worst T20I Averages Among India’s Top/Middle-Order Batters (1 to 6) Since 2025 (minimum 2 games):

• 1. Sanju Samson — 16.75

• 2. Axar Patel — 18.80

• 3. Suryakumar Yadav — 24.21

• 4. Shubham Gill — 24.25

• 5. Hardik Pandya — 28.90

Suryakumar Yadav Becomes SKY, Again

The third name on our last list is that of the Indian captain, who could not score a single T20I half-century in 2025. That, however, seems to be a concern addressed, as the turn of the year has seen the Indian keeper rediscovering his form — though, he had claimed that he was never out of form, but just out of runs.

The leading run-scorer in the series against the Kiwis, with 242 runs at an average in excess of 80, Yadav scored a 16-ball 30 today. And though he did lose his wicket, unlike Kishan, he looked unperturbed for the while he was out in the middle.

Crucial Cameo From Axar

For a batter of his stature, it is indeed surprising that Axar Patel has not had a 30+ score in T20I cricket since July 2024. Though, the all-rounder can hardly be blamed for that specific statistic, for in what is an incredibly strong Indian batting line-up, Patel has found himself scampering for deliveries at seven or eight.

Be it in an unofficial game, Patel did score over 30 today while batting at five — 35, to be precise — and remained unbeaten. With the ball, he got the better of David Miller. However, even if he had not bowled a single over, one would not doubt his left-arm orthodoxy after a three-for recently in Thiruvananthapuram.

No Ro-Ko, No Problem

The two most desired name-number combinations prior to the game, as we found out from the jersey vendors, were, quite unsurprisingly, ‘Virat 18’ and ‘Rohit 45.’ Though, it seems that at least in T20I cricket, the team is doing perfectly fine without the pair.

Since their retirement post the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, India have won 31 of their 41 matches, with a win-loss ratio in excess of 5 — best among the current top 10 teams in this format.

Harshit Rana's Economy Rate a Concern?

Among the many spotless performances, should it be an absolute necessity to find a fault in India’s stars, one could highlight the issue with Harshit Rana’s economy rate.

The pacer was the only Indian bowler to have an economy rate in excess of 11 against the Kiwis recently, and here at the DY Patil Stadium, he conceded 16 runs in the only over that he bowled.