Sanju Samson IN, Rinku Singh retained as India Playing XI for Zimbabwe clash named

Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has suggested changes to the Suryakumar Yadav-led team’s playing XI ahead of their T20 World Cup 2026 match against Zimbabwe. The former all-rounder backed the inclusion of Axar Patel and Sanju Samson, saying Samson could emerge as the X-factor in a must-win clash.

During a discussion on JioHotstar, Suresh Raina said that Sanju Samson could be an X-factor in the match against Zimbabwe. Raina suggested that Samson should replace Tilak Varma to counter India’s left-handers at the top of the order.

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"You will have to first bring in Axar Patel. Will Tilak Varma play at No. 3 or will Sanju Samson be added there? CSK have taken him this year. So it remains to be seen how he performs there."

"The fans will definitely support him. I feel you should bring in Sanju at No. 3 because you already have two left-handers at the top. Suryakumar Yadav is batting well," the former India all-rounder said.

"Rinku Singh is there down the order, and if Axar comes in place of Washington Sundar, he also plays well. The hard-hitting Shivam Dube is batting differently. However, can Sanju Samson be the X-factor if a righthanded batter comes there? I feel two changes here - bring Sanju at No. 3 and Axar Patel in place of Washi," he added.

You Need to First Win the Two Matches - Suresh Raina

In the same discussion, Suresh Raina said that the match between South Africa and the West Indies would help India with their approach against Zimbabwe. Raina also stated that scoring around 200 runs would not come easily in Chennai, so India would need to focus on batting.

"The Ahmedabad one is very important because the match is happening in the afternoon. Then you will know the equation as to what you need to do in the evening. 200 runs or so won't be scored that easily in Chennai. You will have to do proper batting," he said.

"As regards net run rate, you need to first win the two matches. When the last match happens, that match will be in Kolkata, it's an even smaller ground, the toss will be extremely vital as you would want to chase in fewer overs," Raina observed.

Sanju Samson’s Only Appearance for India in T20 World Cup 2026

Sanju Samson played only one match in the tournament, scoring 22 runs off eight balls in the 93-run win over Namibia in Delhi on February 12. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar was picked ahead of Axar Patel in the matches against the Netherlands and South Africa.

India struggled in their first Super Eight game against South Africa, losing by 76 runs. Tilak Varma scored just one run from two balls in that match. Sundar bowled two overs for 17 runs without taking a wicket and scored 11 runs at a run-a-ball pace.

India can still qualify for the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals if they win their remaining two matches and South Africa beat the West Indies. However, if the West Indies defeat South Africa, India could face a difficult situation, as they may need to make up a large net run rate gap to finish ahead.

Also read: Shivam Dube nearly suffers serious hand injury ahead of IND vs ZIM clash (Watch Video)