India, Jan. 26 -- Sanju Samson's spot in India's playing XI is once again under the spotlight after a series of low scores in the ongoing T20Is against New Zealand. The opener has struggled to make an impact, while Ishan Kishan has impressed on his return, increasing the pressure on Samson to perform in the remaining matches. With Tilak Varma set to return from injury, the team management faces a tough decision between Samson and Kishan.

Across 11 years and 55 T20Is, Samson has scored 1,048 runs at a strike rate north of 147, with three fifties and three hundreds - two of those centuries coming in South Africa in late 2024. While averages matter less in modern T20 metrics, his returns against top sides make for mixed reading: a strike ra...