Sanju Samson set to be axed from T20 World Cup squad as Suryakumar Yadav all but confirms his fate
Published - 08 Dec 2025, 06:57 PM | Updated - 08 Dec 2025, 06:58 PM
Sanju Samson's position in India's T20I looks vulnerable once again. Not very long ago, the right-handed batsman looked like an indispensable part of the team. He forged a strong opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma and cemented his place in the team.
Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, he was one of India's best T20I batters. In 2024, he also hit three centuries. However, Sanju Samson's place in the playing XI is seemingly under threat ever since he was demoted to the middle-order.
The team-management decided to change his batting position after Shubman Gill returned to the T20I setup for the Asia Cup earlier this year. All of a sudden, Sanju Samson lost his place in the top order and is now competing with fellow wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma for a spot in the middle-order.
Suryakumar Yadav on Sanju Samson's spot in team:
With just around a couple of months left before the much-awaited T20 World Cup gets underway, there are still big question marks over Sanju Samson's place in India's middle-order. While only time will tell how things unfold, India captain Suryakumar Yadav has shared his views on the same.
Speaking to the media ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, the right-handed batsman said: "In terms of Sanju, yes, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone has to be very flexible. He did really well before he played, when he opened the innings."
"But Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series. So, he deserved to take that spot. We gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which actually is good to see any player being very flexible, batting from 3 to 6 anywhere. So, that is one thing which I have told all the batters.
While Suryakumar backed Samson, he did not confirm his place in the team. The India skipper made it clear that Samson and Jitesh are still in fray for the wicketkeeper-batsman's spot in the team.
"Other than openers, everyone has to be very flexible. So, both (Sanju and Jitesh) are in the scheme of things. It is always good to have flexible players like both of them being part of that squad. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. Both can do all the loads. So, it is an asset to our team and also a good headache to have.." he added.
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