‘Sanju has been dismissed by him twice’ – Irfan Pathan highlights key matchup ahead of IND vs NZ final

Sanju Samson (Photo Source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan mentioned that the battle between Indian opener Sanju Samson and New Zealand fast-bowler Matt Henry will be vital as the two sides go up in the final of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.

Pathan mentioned how the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter has struggled against Henry of late, with that potentially being a key matchup.

“Sanju has been dismissed by him twice, and his numbers against Henry are not very strong. From that perspective, this will be a very exciting contest. But my main focus will be on New Zealand’s field placements. It will be interesting to see what kind of field they set when Sanju Samson is batting, Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Matt Henry dismissed Samson twice in the five-match series between the two teams prior to the World Cup. Pathan further explained how Samson’s bat face staying closed at the trigger could see him struggle against the Kiwi quick’s bowling.

“Now the challenge here is that Sanju’s bat face stays slightly closed. Matt Henry might use the outswinger a lot. He bowls with a scrambled seam and brings the ball back in, and that could trouble Sanju considering his technique. Because his bat tends to remain slightly closed,” he added.

Yet he believes that despite these technical shortcomings, Samson’s bat face straightens at contact with the ball, which is a good thing.

“The good thing is that even though his bat stays closed, when the bat meets the ball the bat face becomes straight at the moment of contact. But sometimes when you become very confident, you start applying too much force from the bottom hand. That should not happen with Sanju. That is something I will be watching closely,” he concluded.

Samson has been a revelation since his return to the side. His tally of 232 runs in four innings, with match-winning knocks against the West Indies and England, has seen him getting nominated for the Player of the Tournament. India will be hoping for one more such performance from him in the summit clash.

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