Samson Silences Critics but Fights to Keep His Place as India Map Out 2028 T20 World Cup Blueprint

INDORE: India's five-match T20I series against the West Indies may only just be under way, but the team management is already looking much further down the road. With the 2028 T20 World Cup more than two years away, the selectors have ample time to experiment before locking in the "Final 15" best suited to conditions in host nations Australia and New Zealand. The immediate focus, however, remains on preparing for the ODI World Cup coming up in a year's time — making every outing in this format a live audition.

The five-match rubber against the West Indies is followed immediately by a tour of New Zealand from October 22. With a heavy schedule of T20Is lined up, the coaching staff has room to manoeuvre, assess its resources and identify better options than those currently available.

The opening squeeze

While Abhishek Sharma's spot looks secure at the moment, the same cannot be said about his opening partner Sanju Samson, who is perpetually under pressure to perform every time he walks out to bat. Breathing down his neck is teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has impressed every time an opportunity has come his way in recent months. Not to be forgotten is Yashasvi Jaiswal, a proven performer in the shortest format, who is now adding wicketkeeping skills to his repertoire in a bid to break into both white-ball teams.

Samson, though, showcased his class in the second T20I against the West Indies with a 41-ball 82, silencing his critics — at least for the time being.

Tilak Varma embraces a new role

Tilak Varma was not pleased when he was pushed down to No. 5, and at times No. 6, after the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, he is beginning to come to terms with the role and has produced impressive displays — be it his unbeaten 22-ball 51 in the Asian Games gold-medal match against Pakistan or an unbeaten 18-ball 44 in Ranchi. More importantly, he has allayed concerns over his strike rate and is now scoring at a brisk pace.

The allrounder duel

The seam-bowling allrounder's spot is likely to be keenly contested between Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy. If Hardik Pandya remains fit, only one of them may make the cut, which makes the battle even more intriguing. Reddy's bowling is considerably stronger than Dube's, who conceded 30 runs in two overs in Ranchi, while the 23-year-old Hyderabad youngster's batting continues to improve with every outing — even though he has not featured in the series so far.

Pace and spin in flux

With Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana expected to be India's frontline pacers by October 2028, the others will be eager to stay in the mix. Mayank Yadav gave a good account of himself with a fiery spell, while his Lucknow Super Giants teammate Prince Yadav will be keen for an opportunity as well. The young pacers will aim to keep performing with one eye on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is set to return for the New Zealand series.

In the spin department, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar — who is not featuring in the current series — appear to be best placed thanks to their growing value with the bat. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi are the other contenders in the race for a spot.

With so much depth competing for so few places, every innings and every spell over the coming months will carry weight as India inch towards their 2028 World Cup shortlist.