Sanju Samson should be left alone at top of order in Asia Cup, ‘lethal, match-winner’ as opener

Ravi Shastri opined that Sanju Samson's record as an opener could even challenge a player like Shubman Gill at the Asia Cup

Former India cricket team coach Ravi Shastri reckons that Sanju Samson’s position in the T20I setup must not be tampered with in the Asia Cup. With the return of Shubman Gill to T20Is, the Kerala keeper-batter is all but certain to lose his role as an opener. Instead, he might have to play in the middle-order. Shastri advises India captain Suryakumar Yadav against doing so.

India should let Samson open at Asia Cup

In an interaction with the media on Sunday, Shastri noted that Samson was most dangerous at the top of the order and is a match-winner as an opener. The former India coach said that he is best alone if left at the top, noting that the keeper-batter’s record as an opener can even challenge a batter like Shubman.

“When you look at Samson’s record for India in T20Is at the top of the order, even someone like Shubman will be challenged. He may come in for someone else, but I think Samson should be left alone. He is dangerous. He is lethal. He is a match-winner,” Shastri said.

In majority of T20Is that he has been a part of, Samson has played as an opener. In 14 T20Is that he has played at the top of the order, he has amassed 512 runs at a strike rate of 182. 20 and averages 39.38. Samson even scripted history by becoming the only Indian cricketer to have scored three hundreds in a calendar year – all of them coming while he played as a opener.

Meanwhile, the last T20 tournament that Shubman Gill was a part of was IPL 2025 where he essayed the role of an opener for Gujarat Titans. For the record, the Punjab batter has played solely as an opener in 21 T20Is that he has played so far.