Sanju Samson can break MS Dhoni’s record for most sixes by an Indian keeper in T20Is. The Kerala batter can surpass the feat in the upcoming Asia Cup if he is given consistent opportunities in the competition. He is currently 17 shy of the feat.
Keeper-batter Sanju Samson has been phenomenal for India in the shortest format of the game. Ever since he was promoted to the top of the order, the Kerala batter has been fearless in his approach, hitting 30 sixes in 14 matches he played under Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is. He has hit three centuries in the format in international cricket, and courtesy of the same, Samson has earned a spot in Indiaโs Asia Cup squad, slated to begin on September 9.ย
Even though his spot in the playing XI is currently under the scanner, Samson is on course to break MS Dhoniโs legendary feat in T20Is. The former captain currently holds the record for most sixes by an Indian keeper in the shortest format. Notably, Dhoni has hit 52 sixes in 85 innings, while Samson currently has 36 to his name. The 30-year-old needs 17 more sixes to break Dhoniโs record.ย
Most sixes by Indian keeper in T20Is
| Player | Sixes |
| MS Dhoni | 52 |
| Sanju Samson | 36 |
| Rishabh Pant | 35 |
| Ishan Kishan | 17 |
| KL Rahul | 12 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 04 |
| Jitesh Sharma | 04 |
In case Samson features regularly in the upcoming Asia Cup, the Rajasthan Royals captain can very well surpass Dhoniโs tally. Captain Suryakumar has given him the freedom to play an aggressive brand of cricket, and since India will play against the weaker bowling attacks of the UAE and Oman in the group stage, Samson will have a good opportunity to break the tally.
India’s opening dilemma
However, can Samson feature in the playing XI? Indiaโs Test captain, Shubman Gill, returned to the T20I squad and has also been named the vice-captain of the side. It, in a way, indicates that the 25-year-old is very likely going to feature in the playing XI. In that case, he will be opening the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, who is the number one-ranked T20I batter in the world.
With Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav being at numbers three and four, Samson may find it difficult to find a spot. In such a case, Jitesh Sharma can bat at number seven for India and can also keep wickets. However, a decision regarding the playing XI will only be taken after the players start training in UAE on September 4.