'If They Want To Remain Stable...': Ashwin Makes Bold Claim On India Star's Batting Position Amid Struggles In Ongoing T20I Series

Chasing 154 runs, India secured a dominant win against New Zealand in the 3rd T20I series held in Guwahati on January 25, 2026. Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek Kumar's powerful knocks helped the Men in Blue complete their chase and got an eight-wicket win with 60 balls to spare.

While the batting duo rose to the occasion to help India seal the five-match series win, star batter Sanju Samson failed to make an impact, getting dismissed on a golden duck in the 3rd T20I. Notably, he failed to make an impact in the last two matches as well, having managed only 16 runs in the last three T20Is.

Following Sanju Samson's poor performance, many have claimed that Ishan Kishan should replace him as the opening batsman after he made a case for himself in the absence of Tilak Verma, scoring 112 runs in three games. Following the 3rd T20I, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared that while it is too soon to decide if Samson should be replaced or not, it is also hard to ignore Ishan Kishan, given his recent performance.

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Ravichandran Ashwin On Sanju Samson's Batting Position

While talking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin was asked about his opinion on Sanju Samson's current position in the India team. In response, the veteran player shared that he believes in keeping the lineup stable before the World Cup; however, given how Ishan Kishan is performing, it would be hard to drop him after the return of Tilak Verma.

Ashwin shared, "It’s debatable. I personally know Sanju, and I have a personal relationship with him, having played three years with him in Rajasthan. He is a lovely cricketer, and he hasn’t always got enough opportunities. Now he is getting chances, but honestly, if you look at it properly, I am not always in favor of making too many changes before the World Cup. I always think that keeping things stable really helps."

He further added, "But the way Ishan Kishan is batting, how will you ignore him? Of course, it is about keeping things stable... Whatever happened, Shubman is a precedent for this. Why was Shubman in that spot? Because after seeing the partnership between Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, that partnership looked threatening. But the way Ishan Kishan is batting... So I think they have a clear task cut out. If they want to remain stable with Sanju and not make too many changes, that is understandable. But if they say they want to try changes, if they want to try Ishan Kishan at the top, it is also a warranted merit."

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Ashwin Highlights Sanju Samson's Struggles

During the discussion, Ashwin noted a pattern in Samon's dismissals. The former spinner shared that against England, Samson was getting dismissed on short balls, and in the New Zealand series, the Blackcaps are targeting his body. Ashwin explained it's an area that the former Rajasthan Royals player needs to work at.