Asia Cup selection puzzle: Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma? ‘All depends on Shubman Gill’s batting place’ | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Who ought to open for India? Who bats at No. 3? Who slots into the center order? Team India administration and captain Suryakumar Yadav have a contented headache forward of their Asia Cup 2025 opener. But past these questions, maybe the hardest one is – who might be India’s wicketkeeper? The selection is between Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma, and it received’t be a simple name as each enter the event with spectacular stats to their names.Samson has labored tirelessly during the last 12 months, batting fiercely, producing massive knocks, and establishing himself as a constant T20I opener. His final 10 T20I innings embrace three centuries, underlining his progress and starvation within the shortest format.He struck two a whole bunch in South Africa – 107 in Durban and an unbeaten 109 in Johannesburg – after scoring 111 towards Bangladesh in Hyderabad final October.With Shubman Gill returning as T20I vice-captain, the administration is for certain to choose a Gill – Abhishek Sharma opening mixture. In that case, Samson could have to surrender his opening position. But is that the best name? Or ought to the administration proceed with the Samson – Abhishek pairing?Samson’s final 10 T20I innings:

Jitesh comes into the Asia Cup after an excellent IPL season the place he excelled as a finisher, producing match-winning innings in stress conditions. He was instrumental in RCB’s maiden IPL title triumph. So, who makes the minimize – Samson or Jitesh? Will India go for opener Samson or finisher Jitesh?Former India wicketkeeper-batter MSK Prasad believes Samson’s selection depends on his batting slot.“If Sanju is slotted at number 3, then he will play. He has even scored back-to-back centuries in South Africa batting higher up. In the pecking order, he comes ahead of Jitesh. But if he’s not batting at 3, then I don’t see him finding a place at 5 or 6. In my view, the batting order should be: Sanju at 3, Suryakumar at 4, and then someone like Rinku at 6. That’s the ideal balance,” Prasad tells TimesofIndia.com.“Jitesh is a better finisher, no doubt. He understands that role well. Sanju, on the other hand, has always been most effective batting up the order. So it really depends on what the team management wants. If they need a top-order wicketkeeper, then Sanju is the obvious choice. But if they feel the top order is settled and need a finisher, then Jitesh might get the nod. Either way, it’s a good problem to have, but to be honest, what wrong did Sanju do to be sidelined? He has scored hundreds in South Africa, and you can’t ignore that,” he provides.But can Samson adapt to No. 6? The Kerala batter has not often performed as a finisher in T20s, whereas Jitesh has already confirmed himself in that position. That offers the RCB wicketkeeper-batter an edge.Former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim, nonetheless, feels there isn’t any ‘first-choice’ wicketkeeper on this squad and all of it depends on Gill’s batting place. If Gill bats at No. 3, Samson can proceed as an opener. If Gill opens, Samson strikes to No. 3. If the crew seems for a finisher, then Jitesh suits the position and Samson could should step apart.“It’s not about a ‘first choice’ as such, it depends on where the team wants to slot the wicketkeeper. If the idea is to have a wicketkeeper at the top of the order, then Sanju Samson is the option. If the team needs a finisher at No. 5 or No. 6, then Jitesh Sharma fits the role. Once the management has that clarity, the decision becomes easier for the captain and selectors,” Saba mentioned.“I see Sanju Samson more as a top-order batter, someone who can play from No. 1 to No. 3. If the management wants to use him in that role, then he deserves a look-in, especially given his past T20I performances. But with Shubman Gill also in the XI, there’s a question of who bats at No. 3 — Gill or Samson. If that slot is open, Samson fits well. On the other hand, if the team wants a finisher lower down, then Jitesh Sharma is the better choice. India also has options like Rinku Singh for the middle order, so it’s all about balance,” he added.