With Shubman Gill’s return to the T20I fold as vice-captain, it will be interesting to see whether Sanju Samson continues to open the batting with Abhishek Sharma or not in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
If Gill does end up opening the innings, it is highly likely that the team management will look to play the wicketkeeper between No. 4 to 7. That’s where Jitesh Sharma is likely to pip Samson for a place in the playing XI.
Jitesh has the best T20 numbers among all wicketkeeper batters for India when it comes to batting in the middle order. He played a key role in RCB’s maiden IPL title win earlier this year.
While Samson has brilliant stats while batting at the top of the order, they fall considerably when batting in the middle order.
Amid the dilemma, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed Sanju Samson for his recent form but acknowledged Jitesh Sharma’s strong IPL performances.
“Shubman won’t really play in the middle order. If he does, it will be up the order, maybe at No. 3, but not lower than that. Test cricket is different. Here, if he has come in as vice-captain, then most likely that is how it will play out," Irfan explained Gill’s case while speaking to CNN-News18 CricketNext.
“Now, talking about Sanju Samson—he’s a big hitter. I don’t think he’s limited to just the powerplay. Even against spin, once he’s set, he can clear the boundary with ease. There’s a difference between simply surviving spin and actually dominating it, and I understand that. But if the team feels he’s capable of batting at No. 5 or 6, then he’ll definitely be the wicketkeeper-batter," he added.
Pathan further suggested that Sanju’s performance in the nets would help the team take the call.
“It also depends on what happens in the nets. You’ve got different nets—fast bowling nets, spin bowling nets, and open nets. That’s where you get an idea of how someone handles the old ball or specific match-ups."
“It also depends on what happens in the nets. You’ve got different nets—fast bowling nets, spin bowling nets, and open nets. That’s where you get an idea of how someone handles the old ball or specific match-ups."
“The team might lean towards Sanju Samson, especially if they believe he can handle middle overs effectively. But if he struggles a bit against the older ball, then they might prefer Jitesh Sharma," he said.
According to Pathan, a player who has delivered consistently in the recent past should get the nod when it comes to a multi-lateral tournament.
“Personally, I’d like to see the guy who performed well recently get a fair run, instead of being dropped straightaway. In a multinational tournament, chances are hard to come by, but if he can take them, then I’d prefer that. If not, Jitesh has also done really well—his IPL performance was outstanding."
“So, for me, the No. 1 choice right now would be Sanju Samson," he concluded.
