Suryakumar Yadav guarantees Sanju Samson opening spot for entire Bangladesh T20I series

India National Cricket Team captain Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed the opening pair of the team for the three-match T20I series against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team.

Team India and Team Bangladesh will lock horns in the first T20I on October 26 at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior and Suryakumar Yadav has announced that Sanju Samson will be opening the innings with Abhishek Sharma.

Only One Specialist Opener Named In India Squad

When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the T20I series against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team, only one specialist opener - Abhishek Sharma - was picked in the line-up.

The first-choice openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were rested for the T20I series with the big Test season coming up and many expected Ruturaj Gaikwad to be included in the team.

However, Gaikwad was shockingly ignored as BCCI selectors decided to go with just Abhishek Sharma, who was dropped from the squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka National Cricket Team despite his heroics in his debut series against Zimbabwe.

The other talking point coming out of the squad announcement was the selection of express pacer Mayank Yadav, who was fast-tracked to the T20I team following his sensational performance in limited matches in the Indian Premier League 2024.

Also Read: Nitish Kumar Reddy all set to make India debut in Bangladesh T20Is

Sanju Samson will be the opener for the series - Suryakumar Yadav

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav announced that Samson and Abhishek have been finalized as the opening duo for the T20I series.

While talking about the pitch, Suryakumar Yadav said that the track is on the slower side, and it is going to be a huge challenge for his team.

"Sanju Samson will be the opener for the series. The wicket did not look low or slow. When it comes to T20 cricket, the wickets are good," Suryakumar said, at the pre-match press conference.

"It is a challenge. We know what are the conditions and pitches. Even the dew factor is being considered. We have an idea of what we need to do. If everyone contributes, you will get the result," he added.

I am really enjoying this new role - Suryakumar Yadav on IPL captaincy ambitions

Suryakumar Yadav pipped Hardik Pandya to get the India T20I captaincy after Rohit Sharma retired from the format. He has now spoken about his IPL captaincy ambitions, saying that he is enjoying leading the Indian team and has learned a lot from Rohit Sharma.

Suryakumar Yadav revealed that he used to give inputs to Rohit Sharma at Mumbai Indians and has learned how to take a team forward.

"I am really enjoying this new role. When I was playing under Rohit bhai's (Sharma) captaincy in MI, I gave my inputs whenever I felt it was required. I have captained against Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. I have learnt from other captains on how to take the team forward."

Notably, there have been rumors of Suryakumar Yadav taking over the captaincy of Mumbai Indians from Hardik Pandya ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025.