Indian batter Sanju Samson is gearing up for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, where the Men in Blue are set to play five T20I games. Ahead of the gruelling challenge, the 31-year-old wished his wife, Charulatha, a happy birthday. Taking to his Instagram handle, Sanju posted, “Happy Birthday, My Thangamey (My Gold).” He also posted a series of pictures with his wife.

Chennai Super Kings star played all five games in the recent series against West Indies, scoring 168 runs. Indian opener also hit two fifties, with a best of 82 in the second game in Ranchi. His knock of 56 gave the home team a flying start during the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, but the host nation lost the game by 23 runs.

The first T20I game against New Zealand is to be played on 22nd October. Shreyas Iyer’s side will get just one practice session. Speaking about this, Samson told the media, “To be very honest, the way schedules are structured these days, you hardly get a chance to prepare or practice.”

He also added, “That’s where your experience comes into play. One has to try to be in a good mental space and make the most of whatever time they get. We have one day of batting practice. We reach New Zealand on the 20th, then practice the next day, and play the game on the 22nd. We will try to carry whatever good things we have done here in the past. It takes a little time to adjust to the conditions, so we have to take our time to assess the conditions. We want to follow all the things we have learned from experience and play according to the conditions.”

Former India coach feels Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has to wait for his chances

With Sanju and Abhishek Sharma going strong, team management has decided to stick with the same opening combination. Vaibhav Sooryavanshiwho has been batting like a dream in 2026, is waiting to break into the playing XI since the Asian Games 2026.

Abhishek Nayar said it is unlikely the 15-year-old will get chances to play in the upcoming tour. “Sanju plays with everyone’s emotions. He won’t score runs for two games, and people will ask why Sooryavanshi is not playing. Samson will then score 80 runs in no time. He is that kind of a player where fans will raise questions, and then he plays a big knock,” Nayar said on JioStar.

Nayar also added, “In a team, it is key for the captain and coach to make right decisions. If it is haphazard, then it could have a greater impact on the team culture. It would be right to tell Sooryavanshi that he has to wait for his chances.”