Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is in danger of losing his opening spot with the Test captain, Shubman Gill, returning to the T20 setup after more than a year. Since Gill is the vice-captain, Samson might not just lose his opening slot but may not even feature in the playing XI itself.
Indian wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson might feel a bit hard done by, but that’s how it goes as he is in danger of losing his spot from the Indian T20 line-up in the upcoming Asia Cup. Being pitted against Shubman Gill, who has returned to the T20 fold as a vice-captain, Samson, who has slammed three centuries since taking up the opening role after last year’s T20 World Cup, might have to vacate his spot at the top to be adjusted in the middle order and then compete against Jitesh Sharma, a designated finisher, for the spot.
Samson, who got a consistent run of 12 matches at the top with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal being preferred in Tests and ODIs, made the most of his opportunities, clocking 417 runs at an average of 37.90, while striking at 183.70 against Bangladesh, South Africa and England. Even though his last series against England wasn’t great, where his highest was 26 in five matches, former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that opening is still Samson’s best position.
“Samson is at his most dangerous at the top. That is where he can win you matches. If he fires in any of the innings, he wins you matches. He is best left alone at the top,” Shastri was quoted as saying by The Hindu during a virtual media interaction ahead of the Asia Cup. Shastri further mentioned that if someone like Gill has to come in, he may be included but not at the expense of Samson, who on his day can win games for his side.
“When you look at Samson’s record for India in T20Is at the top of the order, even someone like Shubman will be challenged. He may come in for someone else, but I think Samson should be left alone. He is dangerous. He is lethal. He is a match-winner,” Shastri added.
Samson had a stop-start IPL due to injuries, but had warmed up for the Asia Cup nicely with a few good outings for the eventual winners Kochi Blue Tigers in the Kerala Cricket League, including a century.
With Gill being made captain Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy, it is unlikely that he will bat anywhere else, and Abhishek Sharma, the No 1 T20 batter in the world, is unlikely to be dropped. Hence, Samson’s only chance would be to bat at three, replacing Tilak Varma, who goes down to No 5 and Jitesh Sharma sits out. However, if it comes to the middle-order role, Sharma might be a better bet among the two stumpers for a spot.