Gautam Gambhir abandons Sanju Samson; India nets show humiliation
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Indian National Head Coach Gautam Gambhir was spotted instructing Jitesh Sharma in the nets as he keeps a close eye on the Royal Challengers Bangalore batter, probably hinting towards a place for him in the India playing XI for the Asia Cup opener against the UAE.
One of the most recent issues that the Indian management needs to settle before going into the Asia Cup group-stage games has been the final playing XI. Only the inclusion of Shubman Gill has shaken up the balance within the Indian dugout.
Indian T20I opener Sanju Samson is likely to lose his opening spot to Gill, while his presence at no. 3 has also been sceptical since Tilak Varma is currently the no. 2-ranked T20I batter by the ICC. Samson could then have to be pushed down the order, where he faces competition in the form of IPL-winning wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma.
[Watch] Gautam Gambhir has kept a close eye on Jitesh Sharma in the nets
The fans, as well as cricket journalists, have been keeping a close eye on the developments amid India's training sessions in Dubai. Gautam Gambhir was seen involved in an engaging chat with Samson at the end of Day 1 of the practice session.
However, the very next day, Gautam Gambhir was spotted sidelining Samson, who had already sat out for a long period due to some discomfort after the bronco test was conducted. This time, the Indian coach has been seen supervising Jitesh Sharma's batting in the nets.
The Indian coach, Gautam Gambhir, kept a close watch on the RCB finisher and was seen giving him some insights on how to approach his game plan for the upcoming Asia Cup tournament.
Coach Gambhir keeps a close eye on Jitesh’s drills! A glimpse of what’s ahead? 👀 pic.twitter.com/A3B4qf0OpZ
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 6, 2025
Jitesh Sharma might be named in the playing XI for the Asia Cup opener
Leaving out Sanju Samson might be in the plans for the Indian management, since this would be a correct inference that Jitesh can come in more handy down the order than Sanju Samson.
Samson has had the reputation of a genuine top-order batter, opening being the position where he has scored the maximum of his runs. However, Samson is not a cameo player, and Jitesh has done that several times for both the Punjab Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
On the first day of the practice session, Jitesh was seen taking high-intensity wicket-keeping practice drills alongside Sanju Samson, while on the second day, Gautam Gambhir examined his capabilities with the bat. This indicates he is soon to seal his spot on the Indian side.
Jitesh Sharma's unimpressive record for India might be a hindrance
Jitesh Sharma, the 31-year-old Indian wicket-keeper batsman, has played in nearly 150 T20 games throughout his career. He has amassed 2886 runs at an average of 27.22 with a strike rate over 150, which seems impressive for a lower-order batter.
Following his crunch performances in the IPL for the Punjab Kings, Jitesh was picked for the Indian side and made his debut against Nepal back in 2023. Having played 7 T20I innings for India in 9 games, the wicket-keeper has scored just 100 runs at an average of just above 14.
This not-so-comprehensive record might be the only hindrance in the way of Jitesh's selection into the playing XI for the Asia Cup; however, his crucial innings for RCB in IPL 2025 might overshadow his past failures for India.
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