"He is old now" - Amit Mishra believes Sanju Samson cannot play 2026 T20 World Cup because of Virat Kohli's concept

Veteran Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra feels Sanju Samson may miss the bus for the next edition of the T20 World Cup in 2026 to be played in India and Sri Lanka. Samson was a part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA.

Samson is already 29 and will be 31 by the time the next edition of the tournament comes along. Mishra shed light on the concept that Virat Kohli had brought in T20Is in his captaincy -- the importance of youth in the format.

Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube podcast, here's what Amit Mishra had to say about Sanju Samson's age:

"I don't think so. He is old now. There is such a heavy influx of youngsters in the team this concept was introduced by Virat Kohli – that in T20Is, young players perform more, India need them more. He himself is 35."

Virat Kohli had announced his retirement from the T20I format after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup final. While accepting the Player of the Match award, Kohli told the host broadcaster that he felt it was the right time for the younger generation to take over the shortest format.

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Sanju Samson will have to perform extraordinarily well: Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra also highlighted the competition for the wicketkeeper's slot in the Indian team, with the likes of Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant already in the mix. He feels Sanju Samson will need to produce extraordinary performances to cement his spot at the top of the pecking order.

On this, Mishra stated:

"If Samson has to play, he will have to perform extraordinarily well. If he is in the team now, he should remain there until the next World Cup after two years. Then he can be considered. Otherwise, it is tough. Because there are so many youngsters knocking on the door.

"Ishan Kishan, such a wonderful talent, is sitting out of T20Is. Rishabh Pant has always been there. Dhruv Jurel, Jitesh Sharma... it's a long queue."

Amit Mishra, meanwhile, rubbished the idea of T20Is being a format that is well suited only to youngsters. He highlighted how India's T20 World Cup-winning campaigns in 2007 and 2024 had experienced players playing a major role and believes experience will always be key in such tournaments.