Sanju Samson OUT? 5 IPL 2026 openers pushing for India T20I spot

India's World Cup hero Sanju Samson might face tough competition from newcomers for the T20I spot as youngsters continue to dominate IPL 2026.

Sanju Samson's move to CSK has not paid off massively as he has failed to put on a consistent effort with the bat. Samson scored a massive hundred and followed it with a 48 in the two wins for CSK, but his form has not been promising to win matches regularly.

With the rise of several new cricketers in the form of the dynamic shotmakers who can utilise the powerplay even better, Samson's importance in the Indian team might be dimmed. This time, he might not find a place in the middle-order as well, with the likes of Rajat Patidar and Shreyas Iyer putting on a spectacular show.

Five Opening Batters who can threaten Sanju Samson's position in the Indian T20 team

5. Priyansh Arya

PBKS scouts did a wonderful job in picking a talent like Priyansh Arya from the first season of the Delhi Premier League. He came into recognition for having smashed 6 sixes in a single over in the DPL.

Having played for the Punjab Kings, Priyansh scored 450+ runs along with his maiden IPL hundred in 2025. He has continued his form this season as well, with a brilliant innings against Lucknow Super Giants.

Arya has scored 211 runs this season and has a whopping strike rate of 248 while averaging a decent 42. His 93 off just 37 balls against LSG was a masterclass in this season of the IPL.

4. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal might seem the ideal pick to replace Sanju Samson, not because he plays as an opener but because Jaiswal is the perfect blend of attacking play and a sense of game awareness. Jaiswal is never too naive to play inappropriate shots and has a good understanding of how to maintain the tempo of his innings as per the requirements of the batter.

Being a constant genius for India in T20 cricket before he was dropped from the team, he has amassed several runs for Rajasthan Royals even through the toughest of seasons. On the other hand, this season as well, he has scored 223 runs in 6 matches and is striking at 152.73.

3. Prabhsimran Singh

The Punjab Kings opener, who has been playing in the IPL for the past few years, has always made useful contributions for his team. He had his breakout season in 2023 when he started as a full-time opener for the Kings.

Having scored 700 runs across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Prabhsimran was among the three players retained by PBKS ahead of the 2025 season mega-auction. He paid off the faith with 549 runs in the season while striking at over 160.

This season as well Prabhsimran has been in very promising touch alongside his opening partner, Cooper Connolly, and skipper Shreyas Iyer. With 211 runs, he has played two match-winning knocks against the Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

2. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

The 15-year-old has been the talk of every mouth over the past year. He has amassed runs, but what makes him an exception and a great asset for the T20 side is his blistering strike rate and fearless ball-striking ability.

Amassing 246 runs this season, Sooryavanshi, who is now 15 years old, is available to be picked in the Senior Men's team. He has been in the limelight since his maiden hundred in the IPL back in 2025. Paired alongside Abhishek Sharma, he might form one of the most destructive opening pairs the world has ever witnessed.

1. Shubman Gill

The former India vice-captain is the last name on our list and also the most probable one to get back in the mix for the T20 opening spot. If Gill dominates this season of the IPL, he will make it back to the Indian team.

The message was very clear last time that Gill's form made him unfit for the combination, and as a result of that, he was dropped from the World Cup squad. But with Sanju Samson out of the squad, Gill could easily feature at the top, as Ishan Kishan has been used widely in the no.3.

Currently, he sits in the second spot of the Orange Cap leaderboard and has amassed 265 runs after 5 appearances.

ALSO READ: Gujarat Titans coach blames bowlers despite batting disaster vs MI