Sanju Samson IN or OUT has been the biggest talking point in Indian cricket for the last few weeks, and the debate for the Asia Cup 2025 selection is all set to end very soon.
The India National Cricket Team will open their campaign in the Asia Cup against the UAE National Cricket Team on Wednesday, September 10, and the playing XI will give clarity on which direction the team is heading.
If Sanju is slotted at number 3, then he will play – MSK Prasad
Ahead of the commencement of the continental tournament, several cricket experts have shared their views on whether the Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman should be slotted in the India XI.
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The latest one to join the bandwagon is the former India gloveman and the BCCI chief selector, MSK Prasad. He said that Sanju Samson deserves a place in India’s playing XI at the No.3 spot.
Prasad added that if Samson doesn’t secure a spot in the top order, he won’t be included in the playing XI, despite his impressive contributions with the bat in T20I cricket since last year. He said:
“If Sanju is slotted at number 3, then he will play. He has even scored back-to-back centuries in South Africa batting higher up. In the pecking order, he comes ahead of Jitesh.
“But if he’s not batting at 3, then I don’t see him finding a place at 5 or 6. In my view, the batting order should be: Sanju at 3, Suryakumar at 4, and then someone like Rinku at 6. That’s the ideal balance,” MSK Prasad told the Times of India.
Jitesh is a better finisher, no doubt – MSK Prasad
MSK Prasad further stated that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma is a better finisher than Sanju Samson, and he will get the nod if the team management feels that the top-order is settled. However, Prasad questioned head coach Gautam Gambhir about what Sanju Samson has done wrong to be sidelined. He elaborated:
“Jitesh is a better finisher, no doubt. He understands that role well. Sanju, on the other hand, has always been most effective batting up the order. So it really depends on what the team management wants. If they need a top-order wicketkeeper, then Sanju is the obvious choice.
“But if they feel the top order is settled and need a finisher, then Jitesh might get the nod. Either way, it’s a good problem to have, but to be honest, what wrong did Sanju do to be sidelined? He has scored hundreds in South Africa, and you can’t ignore that,” he added.
How did Sanju Samson’s spot in India’s T20I XI come under threat?
Sanju Samson has been India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman and opener in T20I cricket for quite some time now. However, now his place is under threat.
This is because Shubman Gill has returned to the T20I team for the Asia Cup and has been named as the vice-captain, which guaranteed him a place as an opener.
The BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, while speaking to the media, confirmed that Abhishek Sharma is the first-choice T20I opener, and Gill’s elevation makes him the second opener.
Also, Jitesh Sharma has been slotted in the squad, which hints that India are looking at a wicketkeeper-batsman who can bat in the middle-order, unlike Sanju Samson, whose best has been seen at the top.
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