India cricket team keeper-batter Sanju Samson’s mentor-cum-coach Raiphi Gomez has claimed that he is flexible enough to make adjustments to bat down the order. His remarks come ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 in which the Kerala star will most likely have to bat at number 5 or 6 as he has lost the opener’s role to Shubman Gill. Ahead of the 8-nation tournament, Samson’s coach has clarified that the former has no problem batting at any position, as per the requirements of the team.
Will Samson be okay at number 5 or 6?
Speaking to The Telegraph, Gomez claimed that Samson could make adjustments to bat down the order as he is an established player – both professionally and internationally. He said that the keeper-batter’s flexibility guides him, adding that he was very confident of his abilities.
“Being a professional and internationally established player, Sanju is flexible enough to make the adjustments if he has to bat down the order. His flexibility is what guides him, and he is very confident about his abilities,” Samson’s mentor said.
Samson slotted himself in the middle-order for Kochi Blue Tigers’ opening match of the Kerala Cricket League. However, he wasn’t required to bat in the contests. In the next match, he returned as an opener and slammed a whirlwind 42-ball century. In the third game, he once again returned to the middle-order and managed to score just 13 runs off 22 deliveries while batting at number 6.
Samson’s phenomenal rise in the T20Is is majorly attributed to his ability to play fearless cricket while opening the innings. He created history by becoming the only Indian cricketer to score three hundreds in a calendar year in 2024/25.
“Has Sanju said anything about being under pressure? No. So, it’s all outside noise, and we are not really concerned about what is being said outside,” Gomez said.
Samson has scored most of his runs (in T20Is) while playing as an opener. In T20s, he has been at his best while batting at number three. However, he won’t be able to bat in either of the positions in Asia Cup. At 5 or 6, he has been least effective in both T20s and T20Is.
