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Ravi Shastri has asked India to ‘leave Sanju Samson alone’ as the opener for India in the Asia Cup 2025, despite Shubman Gill’s formidable challenge.
Sanju Samson’s place in the Indian T20I team is under threat again. (Picture credit: PTI)
Ravi Shastri wants Sanju Samson to be ‘left alone’ at the top of the order, asking the Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team management to find another place in the 11 for vice-captain Shubman Gill. The former men’s head coach believes that Samson’s record as an opener is ‘too good’ for him to be replaced at the moment.
India’s openers for all of 2025, Samson and Abhishek Sharma, are both part of India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad. However, one of their place is seemingly under threat with the selectors also bringing in Gill, who is also an opener by trade, and making him Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy. Vice-captains are seldom left out of the team in India, and with Tilak Varma cemented at number three, too, the choices are plenty and difficult.
“He [Samson] is most dangerous in the top three,” Shastri said at a media interaction. “That’s where he wins you matches. He should be left there. It [replacing Samson for Gill] won’t be that easy. Samson has a strong record for India at the top in T20s. Even Gill will find it tough to displace him. Gill may come in for someone else, but Samson should be left alone as the opener. Samson should continue playing the way he has for India in T20s. He has been consistent at the top with big runs and hundreds,” he added.
All three bring different qualities to the table. Abhishek is the top-ranked men’s ICC batter in T20Is, who can also double up as a more-than-handy spinner.
Samson has the most T20I centuries for India after Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, and has a big score penchant like few others. And Gill is coming off an IPL 2025 season where he was not only the second-highest run-getter but also proved his captaincy credentials, pushing his case to be Suryakumar’s deputy.
‘Spin will be flavor of the month’: Ravi Shastri
Shastri said conditions in the UAE will favor spinners, but didn’t suggest an exact combination that India should use.
“Given the conditions in Dubai and the heat, spin will definitely be the flavour of the month. Teams like Afghanistan might even play four spinners. Whether it’s two or three (for India), it depends on balance, but spinners will certainly be in big demand in Dubai. You need both finger spin and wrist spin. India has that luxury, and they’ll all come into play depending on conditions,” he added.
September 08, 2025, 13:00 IST
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