- By Namrata Vijay
- Mon, 01 Sep 2025 02:15 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Asia Cup 2025: India's stint during the upcoming continental tournament is all set to begin from September 10, as the debate has intensified as to which wicketkeeper-batter should be included in the playing XI. The Indian team selectors had picked two wicketkeeper batters in the 15-member team- Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma.
Sanju Samson has been the preferred wicketkeeper-batter in the shortest format since last year, and especially after the series against Bangladesh. But ever since Shubman Gill has been recalled to the side, there are high chances that he would be opening the innings, and that has jeopardized Samson's position in the playing XI. Since Gill would be playing as an opener, Samson might be pushed down in the middle order, and that's one position where he hasn't performed consistently.
Sanju's stint during IPL 2025 was hampered by injuries, but he still scored 285 runs at a staggering strike rate of 140.39. He had a dream run last year, but his performance during the T20I series against England this year didn't meet expectations.
Ex-India cricketer Aakash Chopra opened up about the selection headaches the team management might face before the continental tournament during an interaction on his YouTube channel. He revealed that although Samson's performance as an opener is brilliant, his record as a middle-order batter isn't convincing.
“Sanju Samson is the first contender because he played the last series. He has struck three centuries in the last 12 matches. He is also part of the team at the moment. So, of course, he will be the first guy to talk about. If we look at his numbers at Nos. 1 to 3 in all T20s, he has scored more than 6000 runs at a strike rate of 140 and an average of 33. These are really good numbers at Nos. 1 to 3,” Chopra was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.
Since Samson might not play as an opener, he was seen batting in the middle order in the Kerala Cricket League. But due to inconsistent performances batting at the No.4 position, he began playing as an opener again and smashed a 42-ball century for the Kochi Blue Tigers.
Samson has played as a middle-order batter in the shortest format a very few times, as he has played in just five matches as a No.5 batter and has scored 62 runs at a poor strike rate of 131.91. At the same time, while representing RR during IPL, he has played at the No.5 position in only three matches and has scored just 34 runs.
He would face stiff competition from Jites Sharma, who had helped RCBlift their maiden title this year during his first season. He batted at a brilliant strike rate of 176.35 during IPL 2025, and he might be preferred over Samson as a specialist finisher for the lower middle order.
Apart from Samson and Jitesh Sharma, Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant might also be picked as the second wicketkeeper batter in India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad, as per Aakash Chopra.
“So Sanju Samson is a real contender if you want a keeper in the top three. But when I look at his numbers from Nos. 4 to 7, he has played 98 matches with an average of 20 and a strike rate of 126. Neither the strike rate nor the average looks very good at Nos. 4 to 7. You would keep Sanju as a frontrunner at the top, but suddenly, when you change his number, he goes down in the list,” he concluded.
India's Asia Cup 2025 Squad
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.
Standbys: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.