New Delhi, Mar 1 (IANS) As India gears up for their must-win T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s clash against the West Indies, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has thrown his weight behind Sanju Samson’s inclusion at the top of the order, crediting the wicketkeeper-batter for bringing much-needed balance and intent to India’s batting approach.

Bangar underlined the tactical advantage of having a right-hander at the top of the order. According to him, the move prevents the opposition from dictating terms with spin, particularly off-spin, against the Indian batting line-up, which is filled with left-handers at the top.

"With a right-hander at the top, India are depriving the opposition of the opportunity to use off-spin as much. It’s not necessarily that off-spinners are causing a lot of problems to left-handers. It’s just that the batters are trying to force the issue against them and, in that process, getting out," Bangar told Jio Hotstar.

"This is a good mix because if you have three right-handers in the top seven, you can maintain the right-left combination and deprive the opposition of using four overs of off-spin," he added.

Bangar highlighted how Samson’s proactive mindset made a significant difference, especially after India struggled with opening partnerships earlier in the tournament. The 53-year-old former player also feels that Sanju's early attack took the pressure off Abhishek and helped him settle against Zimbabwe.

"I thought Sanju Samson was very proactive and moved a lot in the crease. Because of that, he created run-scoring opportunities and, in that sense, gave India the start they were looking for," he said.

"India were averaging less than 10 in terms of opening partnership in the four or five games they had played before the Zimbabwe match. So, the way he played, allowed Abhishek time to settle in, and by then India had already gotten off to a good start," Bangar noted.

Samson played a knock of 24 runs, which came in just 15 balls, after getting back in the playing XI against Zimbabwe. Sanju also took a brilliant catch while wicketkeeping.

--IANS

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