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 in the middle order. That’s where Jitesh Sharma might pip Samson for a place in the playing XI.
Jitesh has the best T20 numbers among all wicketkeepers for India when it comes to batting in the middle order. He also 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 cricketer Mohammad Kaif has backed Sanju Samson to bat at No.3 ahead of Tilak Varma in the continental showpiece.
Last year, Samson smashed three T20I centuries while opening the innings. He has also been in great form in the Kerala Cricket League. After starting the tournament batting lower down the order, the right-hander returned to the opening position and registered scores of 13, 121, 89, 62, and 83.
However, Tilak has also been in fine touch at No.3 for India. The southpaw slammed back-to-back centuries against South Africa last year, making the selection for the Asia Cup a challenging decision for the team management.
“Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill will open in the Asia Cup. For the No.3 spot, I feel Tilak Varma is a youngster and can wait for his turn. Sanju is an experienced batter, and he could be groomed by giving him consistent opportunities at No.3. There is a World Cup after six months, and he deserves a chance,” Kaif said in a video shared on Instagram.
“He is among the top 10 six-hitters in the IPL. That is why I believe when Rashid Khan comes to bowl in the middle overs, there cannot be a better player than Sanju, as he can hit sixes down the ground,” Kaif added.
Kaif also put emphasis on Samson’s consistency in different conditions. “South Africa has one of the toughest batting conditions, and he scored two centuries as an opener there. He plays both pace and spin well, and in the IPL, he scores 400-500 runs every year,” he said.
Kaif further highlighted Samson’s experience and current form, making him hard to ignore in the eight-team tournament, set to begin on September 9.
“Sanju Samson is the most senior member of this Asia Cup squad. He made his debut in 2015 and was part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2024 in Barbados. He didn’t play every game, but when he did, he scored runs at a 180 strike rate. He has scored a truckload of runs and has been in excellent form in the Kerala Cricket League,” Kaif remarked.
India will open their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against UAE on September 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
