Overview

• Promoted to No. 3 against Oman, Samson top-scored with 56 off 45 to set up India’s 188/8 in their final group game.
• Team management led by Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir is evaluating him as a No. 5 option, with the Oman promotion intended to give him time in the middle.
• Sunil Gavaskar praised his timing and shot range, while Kris Srikkanth termed it an important innings despite a measured strike rate.
• Samson is 83 runs shy of 1,000 T20I runs for India, a milestone he could approach in the Super Four opener against Pakistan.
• Franchise reporting indicates CSK are unlikely to pursue a high-value transfer for the Rajasthan Royals captain before the IPL 2026 window.