Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma – India’s choice for wicketkeeper-batter in the upcoming Asia Cup has become an interesting talking point. The year 2024 saw Sanju Samson walking out as an opener, paring up with Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order and providing rollicking starts. The Kerala cricketer Sanju Samson even notched up a record three centuries in a calendar year. But going into the continental championship, he might end up losing his spot to the newly-appointed Indian vice-captain in T20Is – Shubman Gill.
Sanju Samson has been in an outstanding form in the past few years in T20I. With 417 runs at an average of 37.90 and a strike rate of 183.70 in 12 games—including an incredible three hundreds—the stylish batter Sanju Samson has amassed the highest run total among wicketkeepers. Sanju Samson has also had outstanding results in T20 cricket overall over the past 12 months, scoring 739 runs at an average of 35.19 and strike rate of 161.70 in 23 games
The curious case of Sanju Samson is all about his batting position in T20Is. He is a beast at the top of the order but struggles in the middle. He averages almost 40 as an opener, but the numbers dip to 21, 20 and even 12 at no. 4, 5 and 6, respectively.
Sanju Samson’s performance for India in T20Is – across positions
| Batting Position | Inns | Runs | Average |
| 1st | 14 | 512 | 39.38 |
| 2nd | 3 | 10 | 3.33 |
| 3rd | 3 | 33 | 11 |
| 4th | 11 | 213 | 21.3 |
| 5th | 5 | 62 | 20.66 |
| 6th | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| 7th | 1 | 19 | 19 |
Even in the IPL, Sanju Samson has failed as a middle-order batter. He averages 11 and 20 at no. 5 and no. 6, respectively.
Sanju Samson’s performance in IPL – across positions
| Batting Position | Inns | Runs | Avg | S/R |
| Opening | 31 | 783 | 26.1 | 137.37 |
| No. 3 | 94 | 3096 | 38.22 | 143.33 |
| No. 4 | 36 | 685 | 20.76 | 127.32 |
| No. 5 | 3 | 34 | 11.33 | 136 |
| No. 6 | 6 | 80 | 20 | 102.56 |
| No. 7 | 1 | 21 | 21 | 210 |
Now, with Shubman Gill most likely to open the innings with his state-mate Abhishek Sharma, the dilemma would be to pick one from Sanju and Jitesh to perform in the middle order.
Irfan Pathan open’s up on the India’s batting order conundrum and Sanju Samson’s place ahead of Asia Cup 2025
Sanju Samson has become the talk of Indian cricket. On one hand, speculation surrounds his next Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise after reports that Sanju Samson told Rajasthan Royals he wants to part ways before the 2026 season; on the other, Sanju Samson finds himself in the thick of the selection drama for the upcoming Asia Cup. The selectors are expected to announce the T20I squad on Tuesday at a press conference in Mumbai.
Sanju Samson should be a certainty, having smashed three centuries in his last 12 T20Is after being backed extensively as an opener. However, Shubman Gill’s recent form in the Test series against England has reignited calls for his inclusion in the T20I squad.
According to Irfan Pathan, the decision would be made after assessing his capability of batting at number five or six. Speaking to CNN-News18 CricketNext in a select media interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network, Pathan highlighted Sanju Samson’s’s hard-hitting qualities but also stated that the keeper-batter’s ability to deal with old ball would be the deciding factor.
“Sanju might not get a place in the playing XI, it will be hard. But, I saw some of the clips where Samson is trying playing down the order. If he can play down the order, then why not? Play Samson as well in No.5 position. If that happens, then Jitesh Sharma won’t be there,” Irfan Pathan said in a special interaction organized by Sony Sports Network.
“It’s a tough one, isn’t it? If you look at it, Sanju has done really well. Obviously there is one question mark in terms of his consistency, like sometimes he is scoring hundreds, other times he is getting out cheaply, and there is a pattern as well, but he has done well. Abhishek Sharma, because he can bowl as well, and he has got an outstanding strike rate, he will be there for sure, that is No.1,” he added.
“Now, talking about Sanju Samson—he’s a big hitter. I don’t think he’s limited to just the powerplay. Even against spin, once he’s set, he can clear the boundary with ease. There’s a difference between simply surviving spin and actually dominating it, and I understand that. But if the team feels he’s capable of batting at No. 5 or 6, then he’ll definitely be the wicketkeeper-batter,” he continued
Pathan further stated that Sanju’s performance in the nets would help the team take the call.
“It also depends on what happens in the nets. You’ve got different nets—fast bowling nets, spin bowling nets, and open nets. That’s where you get an idea of how someone handles the old ball or specific match-ups.”
“The team might lean towards Sanju Samson, especially if they believe he can handle middle overs effectively. But if he struggles a bit against the older ball, then they might prefer Jitesh Sharma,” he said.
The former all-rounder opined that a player who has produced favourable outcomes consistently in the recent past should get the nod when it comes to a multi-nation tournament.
“Personally, I’d like to see the guy who performed well recently get a fair run, instead of being dropped straightaway. In a multinational tournament, chances are hard to come by, but if he can take them, then I’d prefer that. If not, Jitesh has also done really well—his IPL performance was outstanding.”
“So, for me, the No. 1 choice right now would be Sanju Samson,” Pathan concluded.
The Men in Blue will kick off their Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against arch-rivals Pakistan is scheduled for September 14, with both fixtures set to be played in Dubai. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav and Co. will play their final group stage fixture against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
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