"Chokes under pressure": Fans fume after Sanju Samson's golden duck in 3rd T20I

Sanju Samson faces backlashes (Source: @chinmayshah28/x.com)It was another chance for Sanju Samson, and the wicketkeeper-batter failed to make an impact once again. Dismissed for a golden duck, his prolonged struggles continued, casting fresh doubt over his T20I future.Chasing down a total of 154 runs, Samson came to open the innings with Abhishek Sharma and walked away on the very first delivery of the innings. Following yet another failure, the wicketkeeper-batter faced heavy backlash from netizens. Another chance slips away as Samson falls for a duck In recent times, Sanju Samson’s long-standing struggle has been one of the biggest worries of the Men in Blue. In the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, Samson failed to make an impact, and the ongoing third T20I was no exception. After opening the series with a seven-ball 10, Samson followed it up with a modest six-run dismissal in the second match, failing to make an impact once again. The ongoing third T20I match against the Kiwis was a crucial one for his future, but he faltered again. While chasing down the low total, Samson came to open with Abhishek Sharma. As Matt Henry began the attack, Samson was dismissed on the very first delivery, making it another night to forget. Matt Henry angled the ball in as Samson attempted a flick, only for it to brush his pad and crash into the stumps. With that, he departed on a disappointing golden duck. Following yet another failure, fans erupted online, slamming the batter for his dismal run in the shortest format. Rajiv @Rajiv1841 Sanju Samson has officially lost his opening slot to Ishan Kishan & he has only himself to blame now, no one else. He literally choked under pressure for place, I am very dissapointed by him. Ishan Kishan on other hand, again setting stage on fire!! Ashish chandel @ashchaspeaks @chinmayshah28 Sanju Samson has given up his opening slot on plate . He needs to work on mental fitness . He fought hard to get the slot . @IamSanjuSamson #INDvsNZ #CricketTwitter Ayushee Chauhan @AyusheeChauhan Sanju Samson continues to feel overrated. His place in the team seems driven more by PR than consistent impact. If India is serious about winning the World Cup, it’s time to back players like Tilak Varma instead. #IndianCricket #TeamIndia #SanjuSamson #TilakVarma #WorldCup Jan 25, 2026, 9:32 PM Aagneya @Aagneyax Wish Shubman Gill had received 1% of total sympathy that Sanju Samson got during his entire career, Lol forget about sympathy as Gill is being hated even after scoring most runs in the world in 2023 and 2025, not to forget that Gill played all T20 matches outside India recently. Deshbhakt Sahu @notoriginalsahu Sanju Samson got enough chances now! Please let's give chances to other players. We have many deserving candidates who are waiting for a chance to prove themselves. #INDvsNZ #t20 Vidhyasagar @knowocean84 And that is the end of sanju Samson international career.. another guy who got the chances but never made use of it.. #INDvNZT20I Anyayyy🦄 @_kawaaaiiii Sanju Samson 3 matches, 3 failures 🫣🤡 I hope Justice gang is breathing 🤫🤫 #INDvsNZ Devendra 🇮🇳 @Devendra786s Ishan Kishan will surely start ahead of Sanju Samson in the T20 Worldcup #INDvNZ Will Sanju get another chance in T20Is?After a long period, Sanju Samson has waited on the sidelines, and when he finally got the chance, consecutive failures cast a shadow over his future. After struggling in the T20Is against Australia, fans had high hopes for his comeback against New Zealand, but the hopes crashed again. Since the series started, the wicketkeeper-batter failed to cross the 10-run mark, which has remained his highest score in the ongoing series. With each outing, the pressure has only mounted, and his future now hangs in the balance. Although he has been named in the T20 World Cup squad, his repeated failures have cast serious doubt over his chances of featuring in the tournament. After Ishan Kishan played a fiery knock in the last match, his short yet impactful knock in the ongoing match has become a threat to Sanju’s place in the team.Early wickets fall, but India stay in control While bowling first, the Indian bowlers seized early control as Jasprit Bumrah took early control with three wickets. Along with that, Hardik Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi’s brilliant spells restricted New Zealand to 153 runs. After Sanju Samson’s early dismissal, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan stitched a crucial 53-run innings. Adding to this, Abhishek’s fiery fifty gave a massive push. Having captain Suryakumar Yadav and him on the crease, Team India registered another thrilling victory.