Despite Indiaโs middle-order struggles against Bangladesh, Sanju Samson didnโt get to bat. Coach Ryan ten Doeschate had backed him as the ideal No. 5, but a reshuffled batting order and left-right strategy saw him demoted, raising questions over team strategy.
Despite Indiaโs middle-order collapse against Bangladesh in the Super Four clash of the ongoing Asia Cup, Sanju Samson did not get a chance to bat. The team reshuffled its batting lineup, promoting Shivam Dube to number three, followed by Suryakumar Yadav at four, Tilak Varma at six, and Axar Patel at seven.
However, the move backfired as all four struggled to build momentum. Hardik Pandya, batting in his usual spot at number six, was the lone bright spot, scoring a steady 38 off 29 deliveries and keeping the scoreboard moving. In stark contrast, the rest of the middle order failed to find any rhythm, with each of them batting at a strike rate below 100, which is an alarming stat in T20 cricket where quick scoring is vital.
Samson is the best man for that job: Ryan ten Doeschate
Even though all the other batters struggled, the team management couldnโt make room for Sanju Samson. Interestingly, just a night before the clash against Bangladesh, India coach Ryan ten Doeschate noted that the team management is backing Samson at number five and noted that he was the best man for the job.ย
โSamson has had two decent chances and heโs still figuring out how to play that role (at No. 5). The surface got a little bit tired in the Pakistan game. Weโre really looking for a No. 5. We believe Samson is the best man for that job, and weโve got no doubt heโll figure out how to play that role in the future,โ ten Doeschate told reporters.
Despite the โbackingโ, Samson was demoted in the batting order. The primary reason would be that India wanted to maintain a left-right combination in the middle. However, even in that case, Samson featuring at number eight makes little sense. In the England series and IPL, he opened the batting for India and Rajasthan Royals, respectively. However, things changed drastically when Shubman Gill returned to the team and that made life a bit tough for Samson.