His technique has been exposed

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson found himself under intense scrutiny on social media following another batting slump in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

Opening the innings after the Black Caps opted to bowl first, Samson departed after scoring just four runs off 10 deliveries, failing to hit a single boundary and finishing with a strike rate of 40.00.

The dismissal arrived in the powerplay when Kiwi pacer Adam Milne extracted sharp bounce and pace to induce a miscued stroke. Michael Bracewell completed a fine catch to end Samson’s tour on a bad note.

Fans quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their frustration, with several pointing out the contrast between his aggressive reputation and his struggle to break the shackles at the top of the order. Many supporters questioned his consistency, especially following his dismissal for four off two balls in the fourth T20I at Auckland.

“It’s frustrating to watch Sanju Samson bat. He always moves towards the sixth-stump line, expecting the bowler to pitch it up so he can smash it over the covers 🤨 But over the last three matches, New Zealand’s bowlers have figured him out and his technique has been exposed 😵,” former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja wrote on X.

Here are some reactions:

Summary of Sanju Samson’s performance in NZ vs IND 2026 T20Is

Sanju Samson has had a mixed outing against the Black Caps in the shortest format of the tour. He has struggled to be consistent, failing to back up match-winning performances with notable knocks.

Across his T20I encounters with New Zealand, Samson produced a standout Player of the Match performance in the series opener in Christchurch, blasting 67 off 33 balls to anchor India’s record 230-run chase. The right-handed batter has managed only 40 runs in the next four innings.

Across the five matches of the bilateral tour, Samson aggregated 107 runs at an average of 21.40. The tally has renewed debate over his role in India’s top order, with young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi waiting in the wings.

Edited by Ankush Das