Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif has thrown his weight behind Sanju Samson to be India’s number 3 at Asia Cup 2025. The Kerala keeper-batter, who has essayed the role of an opener in the past year, has lost his spot at the top of the order to a returning Shubman Gill. Ahead of the 8-nation tournament, Kaif feels that Samson must bat at 3 while Tilak Varma could wait for his turn.
Samson > Tilak at number 3?
In a video on his YouTube channel, Kaif explained that India needed an experienced Samson at number 3 and that the team should groom him by giving him opportunities at that spot. He pointed out that the T20 World Cup was just months away and that the Kerala star deserved a chance. Kaif said that Tilak was young and hence could wait for his turn.
“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,” said Kaif.
While Samson has batted at number 3 in only 3 T20Is, he has a vast experience of batting in that position in the shortest format of the game. The Kerala keeper-batter has played 133 out of 291 innings while batting at no.3 in T20s and has amassed 4136 runs. His average while batting at that position 35.65, much better than his career average of 29.68. Samson has scored three hundreds and 31 fifties at that position.
Both Tilak and Samson had a phenomenal run in the previous calendar year. While Sanju became the only Indian to slam three centuries in T20Is in one year, Varma came close, finishing with two to his name.
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