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Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma vie for India’s wicketkeeper-batter spot in the Asia Cup as Irfan Pathan backs Sanju for his recent form but notes Jitesh’s strong IPL stats.
Samson or Jitesh – Irfan Pathan has his say
Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma – India’s choice for wicketkeeper-batter in the upcoming Asia Cup has become an interesting talking point. The year 2024 saw Sanju walking out as an opener, paring up with Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order and providing rollicking starts.
The Kerala cricketer even notched up a record three centuries in a calendar year. But going into the continental championship, he might end up losing his spot to the newly-appointed Indian vice-captain in T20Is – Shubman Gill.
The curious case of Samson is all about his batting position in T20Is. He is a beast at the top of the order but struggles in the middle. He averages almost 40 as an opener, but the numbers dip to 21, 20 and even 12 at no. 4, 5 and 6, respectively.
Sanju Samson’s performance for India in T20Is – across positions
| Batting Position | Inns | Runs | Average |
| 1st | 14 | 512 | 39.38 |
| 2nd | 3 | 10 | 3.33 |
| 3rd | 3 | 33 | 11 |
| 4th | 11 | 213 | 21.3 |
| 5th | 5 | 62 | 20.66 |
| 6th | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| 7th | 1 | 19 | 19 |
Even in the IPL, Sanju has failed as a middle-order batter. He averages 11 and 20 at no. 5 and no. 6, respectively.
Sanju Samson’s performance in IPL – across positions
| Batting Position | Inns | Runs | Avg | S/R |
| Opening | 31 | 783 | 26.1 | 137.37 |
| No. 3 | 94 | 3096 | 38.22 | 143.33 |
| No. 4 | 36 | 685 | 20.76 | 127.32 |
| No. 5 | 3 | 34 | 11.33 | 136 |
| No. 6 | 6 | 80 | 20 | 102.56 |
| No. 7 | 1 | 21 | 21 | 210 |
On the other hand, Jitesh – who comes into the squad as an IPL champion – looks more decent than Sanju in the middle-order. He has scored 100 runs in 9 appearances for India, but his IPL stats paint a remarkable picture. Nine short of 1000 runs in 47 innings at an average of 25, striking at 157.
Jitesh Sharma’s performance for India in T20Is – across positions
| Batting Position | Innings | Runs | Average |
| 1st | 14 | 512 | 111 |
| 2nd | 3 | 10 | 8 |
| 3rd | 3 | 33 | 27 |
| 4th | 11 | 213 | 58 |
| 5th | 5 | 62 | 30* |
| 6th | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| 7th | 1 | 19 | 19 |
Jitesh Sharma’s performance in IPL – across positions
| Batting Position | Inns | Runs | Avg | S/R |
| No. 4 | 6 | 76 | 12.67 | 122.58 |
| No. 5 | 18 | 374 | 28.77 | 147.83 |
| No. 6 | 16 | 405 | 31.15 | 168.75 |
| No. 7 | 7 | 136 | 19.43 | 178.95 |
Now, with Shubman Gill most likely to open the innings with his state-mate Abhishek Sharma, the dilemma would be to pick one from Sanju and Jitesh to perform in the middle order.
According to Irfan Pathan, the decision would be made after assessing his capability of batting at number five or six. Speaking to CNN-News18 CricketNext in a select media interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network, Pathan highlighted Sanju’s hard-hitting qualities but also stated that the keeper-batter’s ability to deal with old ball would be the deciding factor.
“Shubman won’t really play in the middle order. If he does, it will be up the order, maybe at No. 3, but not lower than that. Test cricket is different. Here, if he has come in as vice-captain, then most likely that is how it will play out,” Irfan explained Gill’s case.
“Now, talking about Sanju Samson—he’s a big hitter. I don’t think he’s limited to just the powerplay. Even against spin, once he’s set, he can clear the boundary with ease. There’s a difference between simply surviving spin and actually dominating it, and I understand that. But if the team feels he’s capable of batting at No. 5 or 6, then he’ll definitely be the wicketkeeper-batter,” he added.
Pathan further stated that Sanju’s performance in the nets would help the team take the call.
“It also depends on what happens in the nets. You’ve got different nets—fast bowling nets, spin bowling nets, and open nets. That’s where you get an idea of how someone handles the old ball or specific match-ups.”
“The team might lean towards Sanju Samson, especially if they believe he can handle middle overs effectively. But if he struggles a bit against the older ball, then they might prefer Jitesh Sharma,” he said.
The former all-rounder opined that a player who has produced favourable outcomes consistently in the recent past should get the nod when it comes to a multi-nation tournament.
“Personally, I’d like to see the guy who performed well recently get a fair run, instead of being dropped straightaway. In a multinational tournament, chances are hard to come by, but if he can take them, then I’d prefer that. If not, Jitesh has also done really well—his IPL performance was outstanding.”
“So, for me, the No. 1 choice right now would be Sanju Samson,” Pathan concluded.
(Watch the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 starting from 9th September on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 5, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil & Sony Sports Ten 4 Telugu channels)
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had …Read More
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had … Read More
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The post‘The No. 1 Choice Would Be…’: Irfan Pathan Settles Sanju Vs Jitesh Debate For Asia Cup 2025 | Cricket News appeared first on News18