Sunil Gavaskar criticises lack of footwork as India suffer heavy defeat
January 29, 2026: Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson endured another disappointing outing, managing just 24 runs in the fourth T20 International against New Zealand on Wednesday. Samson looked fluent early on but was dismissed by skipper Mitchell Santner after scoring 24 off 15 balls. With only 40 runs in his last four matches and Ishan Kishan impressing at No. 3, Samson’s place in India’s T20 World Cup plans has come under scrutiny.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was critical of Samson’s dismissal, pointing to poor footwork as the key reason behind his exit. Speaking on commentary, Gavaskar said the batter showed “hardly any movement of the feet” and exposed all three stumps by moving outside the leg stump. He added that standing still against quality spin made Samson vulnerable, a mistake that proved costly once again.
New Zealand went on to register a convincing 50-run victory after posting 215 for seven, powered by a rapid 100-run opening stand between Tim Seifert and Devon Conway. Despite late resistance from Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh, India were bowled out for 165 in 18.4 overs. Santner led from the front with figures of 3 for 26, emerging as the most effective bowler of the match.