With the Asia Cup 2025 tournament just six days away, there is a lot of anticipation, & buzz around the corner. Already, the 15-member squad announcement for the Continental Cup created a lot of stir, with several notable names like Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, & Yashasvi Jaiswal missing from the list. However, with the tournament nearing its start date, another debate is trending - The Sanju Samson one. Where will the Royals' skipper bat if he is selected in the team? Will he play six down? Will he not play? With Shubman Gill being selected in the squad, cricketer-turned-expert Mohammed Kaif has weighed in on the subject.
Notably, besides being selected, Gill is also the deputy to T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the Asia Cup tournament. Mostly, the 25-year-old will open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma. Head coach Gautam Gambhir & Surya have a lot to ponder into the combinations, more so where Samson will bat if at all they play him. Kaif said the keeper-batter has stepped up his game in South Africa and has shown good consistency in the IPL as well.
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“He is among the top 10 six-hitters in the IPL. That’s why I believe when Rashid Khan comes to bowl in the middle overs, there cannot be a better player against him than Sanju, as he can hit sixes down the ground,” said Kaif on his YouTube channel.
“South Africa has one of the toughest conditions for batting, and he has hit two centuries as an opener there. He plays both pace and spin well, and in the IPL, he scores 400-500 runs every year,” he added.
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Tilak Varma can wait: Kaif
The former India player also said that Samson can bat - the Number three slot. Currently, in that position, Tilak Varma has made his spot own by slamming two-back-two T20I hundreds. Like the Royals skipper, the southpaw has cemented his place in the T20I team. However, Kaif feels Samson should bat at number three and that Tilak can wait for his chances since he is pretty young.
“Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill will open (in the Asia Cup). For the No. 3 spot, I feel Tilak Varma is a youngster and can wait for his turn. Sanju is an experienced batter, and he could be groomed by giving him consistent opportunities at No. 3. There is a World Cup after six months, and he deserves a chance,” said Kaif.
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Notably, Samson's best numbers have come at the top of the order. In the last year, no batter has scored more T20I hundreds than the right-hand batter's three. He has often provided India blistering starts in the power play, and has also killed the run chase with his brute power. However, with Gill being in the Asia Cup squad, Samson's chances of opening look slim.
