Sanju Samson’s addition to India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad has sparked a debate over his place in the playing XI. Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar believes that if Samson is picked in the 15-member squad, he should be in the final eleven. The Asia Cup begins on September 9 in the UAE, with India starting their campaign against the hosts a day later.
“If you take somebody like Sanju Samson in the core team, then you can’t leave him out in the reserves,” Gavaskar told mediapersons during an interaction ahead of the tournament. He also suggested that Samson could bat at number three, behind openers like Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Gill, who is the vice-captain of the T20 side, is set to reclaim his spot at the top. That leaves the team management with a tough choice between Samson and Jitesh Sharma. While Samson prefers batting in the top order, Jitesh is known for finishing games. Gavaskar called it a “pleasant headache” for the selectors.
Gavaskar added, “Yes, I think it’s a very good headache to have for any selection committee that you have two capable batters and somebody like Sanju Samson who can maybe even bat at three and if needed come down at six as a finisher. And Jitesh has also done well in the recently concluded IPL where he’s played exceedingly well.”
The former India captain also predicted, “But my feeling is that maybe Samson will probably get the nod ahead of Jitesh for at least the first couple of games.”
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