He did not get a chance to bat in India's opener against the United Arab Emirates.
The Asia Cup 2025 has kicked off in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is nearing its business end. With all the hype around the tournament, India are the clear favourites to go all the way in the event. Their match against hosts UAE was nothing short of a cakewalk for the Men in Blue. But the next match they are about to play has a lot more attached to it than just the game. And one of the most trending topics is the batting position for Sanju Samson.
The T20 World Cup 2024 champions will be taking on arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai. Usually, this is one of the most hyped fixture in any major tournament. The two neighbours do not indulge in any bilateral series since a long time. Moreover, the relations between the two countries have become more strenuous after the recent political pressure surmounting the situation before.
There was a lot of discussion about the inclusion or lack thereof, of Sanju Samson ahead of the opener against UAE. But one the playing XI was announced, all speculations were put to rest. Samson was selected to feature in the XI ahead of Jitesh Sharma, who was considered a favourite to start. Though Samson featured in the XI, he did not get a chance to bat because India were chasing a modest target.
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India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak attended the press conference ahead of the marquee clash. Upon being asked about the Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s batting position, he gave indications about the possibility of Samson batting in the middle-order. This would mean that he will have to bat out of his position, because the opening slot has been taken by Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
The wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala does not possess a lot of experience batting outside the top four. Though the opening spot remains to be his forte, Samson has shown some promise at No.4, where he has got maximum of his runs outside the opening spot. He has batted 11 times at the No.4 spot, and has scored 213 runs with a half-century under his belt.
Having said that, for the fixture against Pakistan, Samson might have to go further lower down the order. With Gill coming into the side as the vice-captain, his position has been cemented at the top of the order. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma are expected to take the next two spots. But this Indian side does keep its fans regularly surprised with their changes. And a similar thing can be expected against arch-rivals Pakistan.
“He hasn’t batted at number five or six a lot of times. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t good enough to play at those positions. I think Sanju is good enough to bat at any number. Whatever the team’s requirement, the captain and head will decide. He’s more than happy to bat at any number”, said Kotak on Samson’s batting position.
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