Samson’s small step up the rankings carries a bigger message

A single place may not sound like much, but for Sanju Samson, nudging up to 34th in the ICC T20I batting rankings with 566 points is about timing and trajectory. It tells you he is trending the right way again after a year that swung from dazzling highs to frustrating dips.

The headline number is simple: 34th, 566 points. The story beneath it is layered. Samson’s T20I ledger reads 861 runs in 43 matches at a strike rate of 152.39 and an average of 25.32, with a top score of 111. He once soared to a career-best ranking of 17th (604 points). This new rise doesn’t match that peak, but it suggests he’s stabilizing after a burst of form that reminded everyone why he’s long been seen as an X-factor option for India.

For years, the knock on Samson was familiar: electric in the IPL, uneven for India. His first 28 T20I innings produced just two fifties and 11 single-digit scores. That pattern fed the belief that he wasn’t converting domestic flair into international consistency. Then came the storm. In a span of weeks last October-November, he smashed three centuries in five innings, including historic back-to-back T20I hundreds—first in Hyderabad against Bangladesh and then in Durban against South Africa. That streak didn’t just bump his numbers; it shifted the perception of his ceiling.

And yet, the crash after the take-off was equally stark. In the five-match home T20I series against England at the turn of the year, Samson managed only 52 runs in the entire series. The dismissals felt copy-paste: leg-side catches while trying to ride the pull, especially against Jofra Archer’s short stuff. For a batter praised for clean timing and easy power, the breakdown against pace into the body became a talking point opponents tried to exploit.

That’s the paradox with Samson. At his best, he’s silk and whip in one movement—ball flies without a slog, gaps appear with minimal backlift, and mishits still clear the infield. He usually doesn’t thrash the ball; he just moves it fast. The ranking bump, then, isn’t some miracle leap. It’s a reflection of a profile that remains dangerous and, with the right patches of form, ranking-friendly.

It also matters where he fits in India’s broader plan. With a home T20 World Cup on the calendar in 2026 and a busy run of bilateral T20Is before that, India want multi-skilled cricketers. Samson’s ability to keep wickets and bat in the top or middle order gives the XI balance. He offers flexibility: float to No. 3 if there’s an early wicket, anchor a chase, or finish with a late burst. The selection debate around him has never been about talent—only about repeatability under pressure.

ICC rankings reward recent runs, opposition quality, and match context. That helps explain Samson’s climb. Big knocks against major teams are worth more, and series-to-series volatility hits players who play fewer games or don’t put together clusters of high-impact innings. For Samson, one hot month can move the needle quickly; one quiet series can drag it back just as fast.

His white-ball résumé beyond T20Is strengthens his case. In ODIs, Samson has been steadier: 510 runs in 16 matches at an average of 56.67, with one century and three fifties. That number isn’t a small sample fluke; it shows a player who can build innings when the format gives him time. And in the IPL, he has banked 4,704 runs in 176 matches at 30.75—numbers that, alongside his leadership experience in Rajasthan, mark him as a seasoned pro who has grown with responsibility.

• T20Is: 861 runs, 43 matches, SR 152.39, Avg 25.32, HS 111
• ODIs: 510 runs, 16 matches, Avg 56.67 (1 hundred, 3 fifties)
• IPL: 4,704 runs, 176 matches, Avg 30.75
• Current T20I rank: 34th (566 points); Career-best: 17th (604 points)

Where do the coaches fit into this? India’s T20I template over the past couple of years has tilted toward relentless intent—hit early, hit often, and keep the run rate above par regardless of wickets. Samson is built for that game. He can go up a gear against spin without premeditation, and he rarely looks rushed by the clock. The trouble shows up when teams set the bumper trap and squeeze his scoring from deep midwicket to long leg. He’s been caught there often, and it’s no accident that England kept peppering that line and length.

What’s the fix? It’s part tactical, part technical. He doesn’t have to abandon the pull; he just needs more layers. Two tweaks tend to help players in his situation: rolling the wrists to keep the ball down toward backward square when the pace is into the body, and opening the scoring arc by trusting the uppercut or the glide behind point when the short ball is outside off. One step across the crease, set early, and the fielding captain has a harder time packing only the leg side.

Selection pressure won’t ease. India’s wicketkeeping pool is deep, and the bar for a pure batter is even higher. In T20Is, the conversation often circles around the balance between Rishabh Pant’s left-handed chaos, the finishing skills of other keepers in the frame, and Samson’s control-plus-power blueprint. Making yourself undroppable is about stacking contributions, not highlight reels. Staying fit, turning 30s into 60s, and nailing roles across conditions—those are the habits that move a player from 34th toward the top 20 and beyond.

There’s also the calendar factor. Bilateral T20Is don’t carry the glamour of global tournaments, but they feed the rankings and shape roles. If Samson strings together a couple of mini-series with 120-150 runs at his usual strike rate, the ratings algorithm will reward that streak heavily because of recency weight. Conversely, two quiet tours can erase months of progress. It’s the nature of a system that values what you did lately in what context and against whom.

So what will India ask of him right now? Three simple things. First, protect his strength: keep scoring at 140-150 without needing sighters. Second, sharpen the short-ball response so teams can’t tie him down to one side of the field. Third, maintain wicketkeeping standards—clean takes, sharp leg-side work, and reliable handling for quicks and spinners alike—because a keeper-batter who saves runs earns selection even on lean batting days.

In terms of optics, this rise to 34th changes the tone around him. It backs the argument that he’s not just an IPL star waiting for that one big India season—he’s actively building one. It also gives the team management flexibility. If the top order is packed with set names, Samson can still slot in at No. 4 or 5 and finish overs 16-20 with high-value boundaries. If there’s a shuffle at the top, he can absorb the new ball and drive through cover in the powerplay.

What he must fix to lock his place

Data tells a clear story about his earlier phase: too many single-digit outs, not enough medium scores. The purple patch with three hundreds proved the ceiling. The England series showed the floor hasn’t vanished. The middle—the reliable 25-to-45 run contribution at pace—has to become his default. That’s where rankings jump from the 30s into the teens, and that’s where team trust hardens.

One more layer is game awareness. Samson often looks his best when the field spreads and he can pick gaps. In the powerplay, bowlers can attack his stumps and thighs with only two out; that’s where early, low-risk options matter—punch on the up through cover when full, dab behind point when short of a length outside off, and only then bring the pull into play. If he stacks safe fours in the first 12 balls, the big shots later are a bonus, not a necessity.

For the most part, this ranking bump is a marker, not a medal. It says the recent work is starting to show. It says the door to India’s T20I core is still open if he walks through it with repeatable performances. The skills are banked; the role is available; the calendar offers chances. The next set of innings will tell whether 34th is a waypoint or a launchpad.