On the eve of India’s Asia Cup opener in Dubai, Sanju Samson’s name once again found its way into the spotlight. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has become something of a lightning rod for debates around selection, was the subject of a pointed question at the captains’ pre-tournament press conference. Despite scoring three centuries in his last 10 T20Is, Samson is on the verge of facing an axe as Gautam Gambhir is likely to give Jitesh Sharma a nod.
Suryakumar Yadav on Sanju Samson
India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, asked about Samson’s role during press conference, responded with a chuckle: “Sir, I will message you the playing XI. See, we are actually taking really good care of him. Don’t worry, we will make the right decision tomorrow.”
The non-committal answer was deliberate. Surya’s words may have sounded reassuring, but in truth they did little to clear the fog around Samson’s chances of starting against UAE on September 10. And perhaps that sums up Samson’s international career, always on the edge, always spoken about, rarely guaranteed a spot. India’s training sessions at the ICC Academy have already told their story and it doesn’t look good for Samson.
Samson waiting in the wings
During Monday’s final training run, Samson arrived early, gloved up for wicketkeeping drills and did quite well too. But once the batting rotations began, the optics shifted. Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya all batted in rhythm and most importantly they batted together.
Shubman Gill, Suryakumar, and Abhishek Sharma followed. Samson padded up, shadow-batted, hovered around, but was made to wait. By the time his turn came, he was left facing net bowlers, mistiming a half-tracker. For someone trying to force his way into the XI, the message was clear.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir, who once promised Samson a rope of “21 ducks,” was seen in a brief but intense conversation with him during keeping drills. Gambhir, despite being one of Samson’s biggest backers, seems ready to make a ruthless call. The balance of India’s XI leaves little room for an opener-turned-middle-order option when Shubman Gill has been reinstated as vice-captain and inked in at the top.
The other half of this puzzle is Jitesh Sharma. The Vidarbha keeper, who last played for India nearly two years ago, has reinvented himself at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as a lower-order finisher. His cameos of 20s and 30s at a strike rate above 170 were tailor-made for a side that needs power in the last five overs. Slotting in at No. 6 or 7 alongside Hardik Pandya, Jitesh adds balance Samson cannot replicate. He is an athletic keeper too.
When India take the field against UAE on September 10, the management’s decision will be clear. For all of Samson’s runs in 2024, the structure of India’s XI may still leave him on the outside, watching his chance slip away yet again.
