India, Feb. 14 -- Sanju Samson has been under pressure after a string of missed chances in recent outings, yet a fitness concern involving Abhishek Sharma offered him a way back into India's XI against Namibia. Whether he keeps his place for the high-profile contest against Pakistan may depend largely on Abhishek's recovery timeline. Earlier in the build-up, Samson had been viewed as India's likely first-choice opener for the T20 World Cup, but the five-match India vs New Zealand T20I series changed the narrative.

A lean run with the bat dented his momentum, while Ishan Kishan's explosive performances from No. 3 reshaped the batting order. His aggressive approach and consistent scoring convinced the team management to promote him as Abhi...