Sanju Samson To Play At No 5? Ex-India Star On Asia Cup Squad Combinations

NDTV

a day ago

As Team India grapples with several selection questions leading up to T20 Asia Cup, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra said that if Shubman Gill is selected to play in the tournament, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, enjoying a rich vein of form as an opener, could play at number five which would not be a "good story". Team India faces a lot of selection questions ahead of the Asia Cup, starting from September 9. The biggest question is how Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal could be fit into a well-settled top-order consisting of Abhishek Sharma, Samson, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav if they are to be selected.
Speaking on his YouTube Channel, Aakash stressed the importance of a third opener, saying, "I do not think anyone needs to go out. It is important that you keep another opener with you. India did not pick a third opener (in the T20I series against England). They were not even thinking about who would open if either Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson loses form. If you do not keep the third opener here, you will have to keep him in the World Cup," Chopra said.
"However, if Shubman Gill is the third opener, do you want to make him sit on the bench? If you don't do that and play him in the XI, in whose place will you play him? If that player's name is Sanju Samson, who will keep? That is the problem. You do not see Sanju Samson batting in the middle order. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma will play at number three and number four. Sanju at No. 5? That would not be a good story," he added.
Samson has played at the number five spot, scoring just 62 runs in five innings, with the best score of 30*.
Chopra also said that if a third opener is included in the playing XI, he "cannot" play instead of Abhishek, who was in fine form against England in T20Is this year, topping the charts with 279 runs in five Tests at an average of 55.80, with a strike rate of 219.68, a century and fifty each.
"If the third opener plays, he cannot play in place of Abhishek Sharma. He will play in place of Sanju Samson, and you won't see Sanju Samson playing in the middle order. Then you will start feeling that you wasted the investment you made in the last 12 matches. Suddenly, from being the opener, he is out," he said.
Chopra said that getting out to short balls repeatedly during the England T20Is, in which he could score just 51 across five innings, with the best score of 26.
"What goes agaisnt Shubman? If you want to make a destructive team, can Shubman Gill become a part of that DNA? That is the big question. Yashasvi Jaiswal can definitely become a part of that DNA, but are they thinking about Yashasvi?" Chopra observed.
After the T20 WC, Gill led a second-string Indian side to series win in Zimbabwe, and July 2024 was the last time he played T20Is for India. He ended the year 2024 with 266 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 38.00, strike rate of 133 and two fifties from the Zimbabwe series, improving his stats overall to 578 runs in 21 matches and innings at an average of 30.42, with a strike rate of over 139, a century and three fifties following an inconsistent string of scores in the start of his T20I career.
Gill was appointed as Suryakumar Yadav's deputy for the T20I series in July, and as Test cricket took priority, Gill was not picked for T20Is, with Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma emerging as India's new top three. Gill missed the T20Is against Bangladesh in October, the T20Is in South Africa in November, and the home T20Is against England in January this year, as per ESPNCricinfo.
After the Zimbabwe and SL series, Gill improved his T20I stats to 578 runs in 21 matches and innings at an average of 30.42, with a strike rate of over 139, a century and three fifties following an inconsistent string of scores at the start of his T20I career.
The T20Is in January were scheduled soon after a dismal Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy in March was priority for the youngster as he was picked for England ODIs, with all-rounder Axar Patel given the T20I vice-captaincy for this whole run of T20Is.
The scheduling is still extremely tough as after the Asia Cup final on September 28, the home Tests against West Indies will kickstart from October 2. Selectors will have to choose their best squad for the Asia Cup with an eye on defending the T20 World Cup at home and Sri Lanka next year. Since their T20 WC win, India has been absolutely crushing in bilateral series, winning 17 out of 20 such series.
In Gill's absence, Abhishek solidified his spot with a 279-run series (at SR of 220) against England, including a blistering 135 in 54 balls at Wankhede. While Sanju's scores were low, he had smashed three centuries in five innings during the series against Bangladesh at home and in South Africa away.
Since the last T20 WC win, among all top order options, Abhishek has been the top scorer and the most tempting one, given his strokeplay and strike rate. In 42 matches across India/IPL/domestic fixtures, he has scored 1,363 runs in 40 innings at an average of 34.94, with a strike rate of over 198, four centuries and six fifties. His best score is 141.
Across all of T20 since the last T20 WC, Tilak has scored 1,200 runs in 36 matches and 32 innings at an average of 50.00, with a strike rate of 153.84, with three centuries and five fifties. His best score is 151. Two of these centuries came during the South Africa tour last year.
Samson also delivered solid returns and found a new lease of life as an opener for Indian side alongside Abhishek. Since the last T20 WC, in 31 T20s and 30 innings, he has scored 908 runs at an average of 33.62, with a strike rate of 157.09, with three centuries and three fifties.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has scored 1,107 runs in all of T20S at an average of 36.90, with a strike rate of 161.13 and eight fifties. His best score is 75 after the T20 WC win. However, his international form saw a steep decline.
Since last year's T20 WC, Gill has scored 893 runs in 22 matches at an average of 47.00, with a strike rate of over 147 and eight fifties. His best score is 93*.So, with the presence of Abhishek, Samson and Tilak and captain Surya being around, the top order is too cramped for Gill to fit in.
Just like Gill, Jaiswal played his last T20I in July 2024, with India utilising his Test abilities during the home season and away assignments in Australia and England, where he scored 391 and 411 runs respectively in a series.
Jaiswal was the back-up opener ahead of Gill for the T20 World Cup last year. He was the backup as India wanted to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Having made 723 runs in 23 T20Is with a century and five fifties at a strike rate of over 164, Jaiswal's 559-run season (in 14 matches with six fifties at SR of almost 160), brought back the leftie into T20I conversations.