With Test skipper Shubman Gill returning in the T20I setup at the top order ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 event, Sanju Samson's place at the top order looks vulnerable. The Punjab youngster will likely open with his teammate Abhishek Sharma in the Continental Cup. Notably, Gill was recalled in the shortest format after over a year due to his exploits in the Test series against England. The selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir are also impressed with his leadership and have handed him a deputy role in the Asia Cup 2025 event.
However, the Test skipper's role as an opener will come at the cost of Samson. There is no fault of the Kerala keeper-batter, as he has amassed tons of runs since 2024 at the opening role. But with Gill's return and Jitesh Sharma as the backup keeper and a potential finisher, Samson may not play in the playing XI in the Continental Cup. However, former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels Samson is most dangerous while batting at the top of the order.
“Samson is at his most dangerous at the top. That is where he can win you matches. If he fires in any of the innings, he wins you the matches. He is best left alone at the top,” Shastri said during a virtual media interaction on Saturday.
For the unversed, the 30-year-old scored a record three centuries in T20Is as an opener at an average of 34.75 and a mind-boggling strike rate of 182.89 in 2024. These numbers are so phenomenal that Shastri does not want to disturb his batting position.
“When you look at Samson’s record for India in T20Is at the top of the order, even someone like Shubman will be challenged. He may come in for someone else, but I think Samson should be left alone. He is dangerous. He is lethal. He is a match-winner.”
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Will Sanju Samson play lower down the order?
Notably, India had their first training session on Sunday, September 07, and Samson did not get much batting practice. Instead, Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jitish & Rinku Singh had a long batting session. If we go by the training session, it seems highly improbable that the Kerala batter will play in the playing XI in the Asia Cup.
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What also goes against Samson is his poor record while batting at number five or six. He averages a clumsy below 20. On the other hand, Jitesh had a superb IPL 2025 for RCB, where he scored over 250 runs as a finisher with a strike rate of over 180. India kick off their Continental Cup campaign against hosts UAE on Wednesday, September 10.
