Team India has arrived in Kerala for their fifth and final clash against New Zealand of their ongoing bilateral T20I series.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) uploaded a hilarious video of the team captain, Suryakumar Yadav, playing Sanju Samson’s personal bodyguard as they headed out of the airport to the team bus.
He was seen clearing the path ahead of them, jokingly calling out to make way, “Get out of the way, move aside, make way please, don’t disturb Chetta (Samson’s nickname)”. Check it out:
Make way for @IamSanjuSamson in 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 😉
🎥 Don’t miss this banter between friends Sanju Samson and Captain Surya Kumar Yadav 😄#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFirstBank | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/zBAFPmZJGk
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 30, 2026
India vs New Zealand 5th T20I takes place at Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield International Stadium on January 31, 2026.
Samson’s Batting Woes Ahead Of T20 World Cup
Sanju Samson has been named in India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, but he has had a lean run in the IND vs NZ series, struggling to convert starts into meaningful scores.
In four matches he has played so far, he has struck 10, 6, 0 and 24 runs despite not looking out of form.
Many fans have even been calling for a replacement with Ishan Kishan, who has been batting brilliantly in the series, ending a lengthy hiatus from the national team.
However, it remains to be seen if India continue with Samson, or make changes to their opening pair, especially keeping the big tournament in mind.
India’s T20 World Cup Schedule
Understandably, the ICC has only revealed each participating team’s group stage schedule so far.
As far as India is concerned, they will start their campaign against the USA on February 7, followed by matches against Namibia, Pakistan, and Netherlands on February 12, 15, and 18, 2026.
All of these matches, except the India vs Pakistan clash, will be played in India.
