It looks like India cricket team star Sanju Samson is gearing up to embrace a new role in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The Kerala keeper-batter has lost his opening position in T20Is to Shubman Gill as the latter is all set to return to the shortest format of the game for the first time since July 2024. While Samson is unlikely to be shunted out of India’s playing XI in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, he could very well be batting at a position that he hasn’t done so too many times in the past.
Samson gears up for new role in Asia Cup
Samson was expected to open the innings for Kochi Blue Tigers in their opening match of the Kerala Cricket League on Thursday. However, he demoted himself to the middle-order and was slotted to bat at number 5 instead. The keeper-batter never got a chance to bat in the contest against Adani Trivandrum Royals but surely provided a glimpse of what is expected to come in the Asia Cup.
With Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma set to open the innings for India at Asia Cup, Samson has no choice but to bat at number 5 or 6. Number 3 is a position at which he was tasted most success in T20s but that spot is likely to be occupied by Tilak Varma.
While batting at 5 and 6 in T20s, Samson has played 15 and 14 matches respectively where he has amassed 108 and 128 runs. On the other hand, while batting at number three, Sanju has managed to score 4136 runs at an average of 35.65, including three hundreds.
India squad for Asia Cup 2025
Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel
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