Sanju Samson loses his spot in Indian team as soon as CSK contract nears

Sanju Samson’s career has once again been thrown into uncertainty after he was not picked as the opener in India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. Sanju Samson made his debut a decade ago with massive expectations, but he still finds himself struggling to cement his position in the playing XI despite his talent.

After Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma were confirmed as India’s new openers for the Asia Cup 2025, the Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar made it clear that Samson was given the chance as an opener only because Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were unavailable due to Test duties.

Now with Shubman Gill back in the T20I setup as the vice-captain and Abhishek Sharma staking his claim as a fearless opener, Samson has been pushed to the sidelines. Now, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter is seen as a backup opener, and probably, he is likely to be drafted in the middle order.

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Sanju Samson snubbed as opener for Asia Cup 2025, now his future in doubt with Team India

In the lower-middle order, Samson faces competition from Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, and even possibly Rishabh Pant, who is currently recovering from an injury. With India looking to retain most of their T20 World Cup-winning squad, Samson’s return seems blocked from all directions.

Read Also: Rinku Singh issues statement on reports of political interference in his Asia Cup 2025 squad selection

However, Samson had even travelled with India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad but returned without playing a single match. Well, as India is set to play 15 T20Is leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on home soil, Samson still has the chance to impress the selectors, but they are now looking at the 31-year-old as a reserve rather than a first-choice player.

A Times of India report reads, “There has been an emphasis on adding power and solidity in the middle and lower-middle order. India losing steam at the back end of the innings has been an underlying concern. This move also suggests that the door has been left open for Pant. The selectors have maintained that they wanted to retain as much of the T20 World Cup-winning side as possible.”

Why Rishabh Pant edged out Sanju Samson in the T20 World Cup 2024?

The sources also revealed why Rishabh Pant was preferred over Sanju Samson in the playing XI during India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024.

It wasn’t just his left-handed edge, but Pant was impressed with his gritty knocks in tough New York conditions and temperament to thrive under pressure.

He said, “It was not just about Pant being a left-hander. Pant played a couple of tough knocks in tough batting conditions in New York. Pant and Gill have the game to handle tough conditions as well.”

Read Also: BCCI planning next level fight with Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma in October

Sanju Samson gets a golden chance to save his T20I career in the Asia Cup 2025

However, the former Indian selector Devang Gandhi believes that the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 could be Samson’s big chance to secure his place in India’s T20I side.

The former Indian cricketer admitted Samson fell behind after struggling against England’s pace at home, but he can change his fortune in the upcoming games.

Gandhi was quoted as saying by the Times of India, “He probably fell behind because he struggled to play the pace of England’s bowling attack at home. But if he can show he is flexible enough, he can finally seal his spot.”