Karthik Wants Answers on India’s T20I Identity and Sanju Samson’s Role

Dinesh Karthik has urged India to work out what their T20I side stands for, questioning where Sanju Samson fits into the plans after a string of in-and-out selections.

Struggles in Ireland and England

His comments follow poor results in recent T20I tours of Ireland and England. With Shreyas Iyer now captaining the team, Karthik feels there needs to be more clarity on the batting order, the bowling combination and the overall approach.

He asked how the batting line-up would look, where young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi stood, and how Samson would be accommodated. Karthik noted that Samson had been an important figure at the World Cup yet was dropped midway through the England series. He also described India as having been thoroughly outplayed on those trips, and said the new captain and vice-captain needed a clear identity for the side.

Samson’s up-and-down run

Samson’s recent selection has lacked consistency. He played the first T20I against England, was dropped, and returned for the final match. He was then left out for the Zimbabwe series before being recalled for the Afghanistan tour.

His credentials are not in doubt, having been named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup. But Suryavanshi’s emergence has added competition for batting places.

Looking ahead

Karthik argued the Afghanistan series should not be judged only on results. He sees it as a chance to find the right combination and work out what the team needs for major assignments ahead, including the Asian Games, where India will want their order and bowling attack settled.