Asia Cup 2025 India Squad- Sanju Samson crucified by Gautam Gambhir
Published - 18 Aug 2025, 12:47 PM | Updated - 18 Aug 2025, 12:50 PM
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India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir’s inclination towards Shubman Gill is not surprising to cricket fans anymore, but his favoritism is now threatening Sanju Samson’s position in the T20I side ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
Gautam Gambhir wants to make changes in the top order after Shubman Gill’s batting masterclass in the recent five-match Test series against England. As reported by CricBlogger, Gambhir is strongly backing Gill as India’s first-choice opener for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
Gautam Gambhir backs Shubman Gill as opener, Sanju Samson faces demotion in T20I line-up
India’s Test captain is now expected to form a new and fearless opening pair with Abhishek Sharma. If this happens, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson will be demoted in the batting order despite playing as an opener since Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the shorter format of the game.
Read Also: Asia Cup 2025 India Squad- Shubman Gill beaten by this player..
It is being said that Samson will bat in the middle order. Well, the middle order looks solid with captain Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Shreyas Iyer almost sure to make his T20I comeback. There could be some surprise contenders like Shashank Singh entering the mix, as the Indian selectors are keen to widen the batting pool.
Indian selectors eye six-bowler formula for Asia Cup 2025
In the spin department, Kuldeep Yadav continues to be India’s go-to weapon, while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are set to offer all-round options. The pace attack is expected to be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with Hardik Pandya bringing balance as the all-rounder.
The report further revealed that the Indian cricket team management wants at least six bowling options in the playing XI, following the modern T20 template. But the big suspense lies around India’s young guns. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan are still waiting for clarity, with IPL form to play a key role in the selections for the upcoming continental tournament.
On the other hand, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh might be overlooked for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 if selectors and Gautam Gambhir prioritize versatility and extra bowling options.
Read Also: Asia Cup 2025- India veteran, now BJP leader, confirms India vs Pakistan match cancelled
Devang Gandhi warns against Shubman Gill's T20I selection; Paras Mhambrey backs Gautam Gambhir’s selection policy
Meanwhile, former Indian selector Devang Gandhi has stressed that T20 cricket must be treated as a different beast altogether. He reminded the think tank how players like Varun Chakravarthy and T. Natarajan once broke into the Indian side purely on the back of their IPL heroics.
He pointed out players who do well in the tests or ODIs don’t always click in the fast-paced T20 world, suggesting that the selectors should not consider Shubman Gill for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
Even the former Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey revealed that selectors are now looking for “impact” players. Mhambrey completely agreed with the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir’s no-nonsense approach, where explosive intent and match-winning ability matter far more than the domestic records.
Notably, India will begin their Asia Cup defense in the UAE on September 9. They are slotted with Oman, Pakistan, and the UAE in the upcoming continental tournament. The big game between India and Pakistan is scheduled on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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