India captain Suryakumar Yadav gave a witty response during the captains’ press conference when asked whether Sanju Samson would feature in the playing XI for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
“Sir, I shall message you the playing XI. But yes, we are really taking good care of him, and don’t worry — we shall make the right decision,” said Surya at the captains’ meet held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Ever since the Sri Lanka tour last year, Samson has been a regular member of India’s T20I side. The wicketkeeper-batter has scored three centuries in his last 10 T20I matches and has provided explosive starts alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Shubman Gill’s return as vice-captain guarantees him a place in the XI. Primarily a top-order batter, Gill is seen as the preferred option to open the innings with Abhishek, while Jitesh Sharma, who last played for India in 2024, is likely to take up wicketkeeping duties.
Although Samson has been enjoying a strong run in international cricket, he was slightly off-colour during IPL 2025, scoring 285 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.63 and a strike rate of 140.39.
In his overall T20I career, Samson has played 42 matches, scoring 861 runs at an average of 25.32 and a strike rate of 152.38. His tally includes three centuries and two fifties, with a top score of 111.
India will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE on 10 September in Dubai.
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