Ajinkya Rahane has stated that wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson will sit out of the playing XI for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 event, as Shubman Gill & Abhishek Sharma will be openers. With the Test captain returning to the T20Is after a year, and also being the vice-captain of the side, the 25-year-old will be slotted at the top of the order. Samson, who was opening for India in T20Is, might just be a backup keeper and opener for the Continental Cup.
While several experts have backed the Royals leader to bat at number five or six, Rahane feels he won't be a starter in the playing XI. In a video on his YouTube channel, the Mumbai batter stated that although he would love to see Samson in action, he will most likely be left out because of the returning Gill, who would also most likely be opening the innings with Abhishek.
“Sanju is a great team man, but that’s a very good problem to have for the team management. In my opinion, probably Sanju Samson will sit out, though as I said, I would like him to play and be in the playing XI. But Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the innings for the team,” Rahane said.
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Sanju Samson headache for Gautam Gambhir & Suryakumar Yadav
Notably, in the past year, Sanju Samson has displayed red-hot form in T20Is as an opening batter for India. He has scored three hundreds and struck his runs at a strike rate of over 150. The RR batter has also formed a formidable partnership at the top with Abhishek, giving India blazing starts and also making a mockery of 200 plus run chases.
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Samson's ability to tee off from ball one makes him hard to leave out. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir & skipper Suryakumar Yadav have to make a decision - whether to play him as an opener? Or play him at five? All said and done, Gill will open, as that is his preferred slot, and he has proven himself at the role for his IPL side, GT. The 25-year-old also had a great IPL 2025 season, scoring 650 runs at a strike rate of over 140 as an opener. What also goes against Samson is his mediocre record at number five or six, both in T20Is and T20s. India also has Jitesh Sharma as the second keeper in the squad, who has a proven track record as a finisher in T20s.
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