India, Jan. 31 -- Sanju Samson's homecoming at Thiruvananthapuram did not go according to plan, and the pressure is now firmly on the right-hander ahead of the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup. The 31-year-old, who has been woefully out of form in the series against New Zealand, failed to set the stage on fire in the final T20I at Greenfield Park on Saturday, managing just six runs off six balls. His painful stay at the crease was ended by Lockie Ferguson as the Kerala batter's technique stood exposed in front of a sold-out venue.

Samson has now returned with scores of 10, 6, 0, 24 and 6 in the five T20Is against the Black Caps, aggregating just 46 runs. Following the batter's dismissal, former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith showed no me...