Sanju Samson ditches MS Dhoni, chooses this India legend as mentor ahead of T20 World Cup

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has grabbed attention ahead of the upcoming T20 series against New Zealand after spending time training with Yuvraj Singh. In a video, Yuvraj was seen giving batting advice to the wicketkeeper-batter during the session, which went viral across social media platforms.

Yuvraj has continued to make an impact even after retirement by guiding young batters. He now shares his experience, mindset, and match awareness with the next generation. Players like Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Priyansh Arya, and Prabhsimran Singh have shown improvement after training with him.

Watch: Sanju Samson Trains with Yuvraj Singh Ahead of New Zealand T20s

Samson trained with Yuvraj Singh ahead of the upcoming T20 series against New Zealand. During the session, Yuvraj shared batting tips with him, especially related to footwork. A video of their practice has gone viral on social media.

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In the video, Yuvraj stood close to Samson and explained the movements, while Samson listened carefully and tried to understand the advice. The focus of the session was on improving balance and movement at the crease.

Sanju Samson training session with Yuvraj Singh ❤️‍🔥@YUVSTRONG12 @IamSanjuSamson pic.twitter.com/gBc04dbKXs

— Sanju Samson Fans Page (@SanjuSamsonFP) January 10, 2026

Sanju Samson is a talented batter who has already shown his ability at the international level. He has good timing along with power and can score quickly. However, footwork has sometimes been an issue for him and has led to dismissals. The tips from Yuvraj could help Samson fix this problem.

Sanju Samson Set for Key Role Ahead of New Zealand T20I Series

Samson last played for India in the five-match home T20I series against South Africa. He featured only in the final match at Ahmedabad, where he scored 37 runs off 22 balls. India posted 231 in that game and won by 30 runs to seal the series 3-1.

India will play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, and Samson is part of the squad. He is expected to open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, which could give him an important role at the top of the order.

Samson has scored 1,032 runs in 44 innings from 52 T20 matches, including three centuries and three half-centuries. The upcoming New Zealand series and the T20 World Cup are seen as crucial phases for his future in the Indian team.

Sanju Samson Named First-Choice Wicketkeeper in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

The BCCI has named India’s 15-member squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7. Sanju Samson has been picked as the first-choice wicketkeeper, while Shubman Gill has been dropped due to poor form. Suryakumar Yadav will captain the side, with Axar Patel named vice-captain.

India will rely on Abhishek Sharma and Samson as openers. The squad includes several all-rounders—Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya—to provide depth in both batting and bowling.

Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy will lead the spin attack, while Jasprit Bumrah will head the pace unit alongside Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Ishan Kishan earned a place after domestic performances, and Rinku Singh has returned to the squad after missing the series against South Africa.

Also read: "Never thought I’d be dropped again": Axar Patel attacks Ajit Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir