India’s 50-over question: After T20 World Cup heroics, can Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan break into India’s ODI plans?

Mumbai, March 2026 — The confetti from India’s T20 World Cup triumph has barely settled, yet the conversation inside the national set-up has already shifted to a format that has caused far more furrowed brows of late. With the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa now only 20 months away, head coach Gautam Gambhir’s blunt reminder—“I am not so sure when you’ve lost two bilateral ODI series recently”—has framed the next assignment in stark terms.

Since the 2023 home World Cup final, India have lost ODI rubbers in Sri Lanka (2024), Australia (early 2025) and at home to New Zealand. A Champions Trophy success in Dubai offered partial respite, but those games were played on bespoke spin strips that will not be replicated on South African pitches. Add the fact that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has not appeared in an ODI since the Ahmedabad final, and the 50-over side suddenly looks light on both bite and balance.

The search for solutions has landed on two of the T20 World Cup’s breakout stars: Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. Samson’s ice-cool contributions under pressure were pivotal in the knockout phase, while Kishan’s left-handed explosiveness and keeping chops make him a tantalising multi-role option. Their credentials stack up: Samson averages 56.66 at a strike-rate nudging 100 in 17 ODIs; Kishan’s 210 against Bangladesh remains the format’s joint-sixth-highest individual score by an Indian.

“Whatever problems he had with temperament, he has addressed that,” former India batter WV Raman told Times of India. “I am convinced Sanju has the game to succeed in ODIs.”

Yet the pathway is congested. Samson is an opener by trade, and the incumbent pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill—now captain—have the positions locked down. Yashasvi Jaiswal is next in line, leaving Samson in the queue unless the management re-jigs the batting order. “Let him go back to domestic one-day cricket, get runs, and then try for an ODI comeback,” said ex-national selector Devang Gandhi. “That’s how the selectors should think.”

Kishan’s case is more fluid. The 27-year-old can slot anywhere in the top three or float lower, and his left-handedness offers strategic value in a top-heavy right-hand line-up. As a deputy keeper to KL Rahul, he provides cover; but Rishabh Pant’s presence complicates matters. “What has Pant done wrong to be dropped?” Gandhi asked. “These are very talented young players and should be handled with care.”

The next flashpoint arrives in weeks, when the IPL effectively becomes a de facto trial. Kishan will bat at No. 3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad; Samson will open for his new franchise, Chennai Super Kings. Runs under league pressure have become a modern selection currency, but Gandhi cautions against reading too much into T20 pyrotechnics. “Don’t forget, there are hardly any close-in fielders in T20s. The aim of every bowler is containment. It’s not always the case in ODIs.”

For Gambhir and the think-tank, the equation is simple: integrate fresh firepower without compromising the format’s nuanced tempo. Whether Samson and Kishan can force their way in will shape India’s 50-over trajectory between now and South Africa 2027.

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