Former India opener and World Cup winner Kris Srikkanth has issued a stern warning to wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson ahead of the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan encounter in the Asia Cup 2025. Samson, who was part of the playing XI in India’s opening win against UAE, now finds his spot under scrutiny with Shreyas Iyer waiting in the wings. Sanju Samson, once promoted to the top order following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is, has been pushed down to No. 5 in the batting lineup for the Asia Cup. This shuffle came after Test captain Shubman Gill returned to the shortest format and was slotted in as opener alongside Abhishek Sharma, a position Samson had occupied earlier.
Srikkanth, speaking on his YouTube channel, cautioned the Kerala-born batter about the precarious situation. “I would tell Sanju Samson, ‘Careful Sanju, this is probably a do-or-die chance for you. They might not include you if you do not score. If you underperform for a couple of games, Shreyas Iyer might come in,'” he said.
The former opener questioned whether the shift to the middle order would affect Samson’s rhythm and confidence. “I think shifting Sanju down the order to No. 5 is probably making way for Shreyas. Not sure if I’m right or wrong. But, think about this, Sanju hasn’t played No. 5 in T20s. His confidence might take a hit batting at No. 5 and so I’m not too happy,” he added.
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Samson As Opener
Statistically, Samson’s best returns have come as an opener. Out of his 861 T20I runs so far, 522 have been scored while opening the batting, including all three of his centuries. His performances lower down the order have not been as impressive, raising further concerns about his role and consistency.
Srikkanth further questioned the logic of Samson’s new role in a side that already features Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as designated finishers. “They (India) are playing Sanju Samson in the middle-order. Are they going to use him as the finisher? No. That’ll be Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. So, Samson will play at 5. Will he deliver? That is a question,” he remarked. He also addressed the long-term plans surrounding the wicketkeeper batter’s inclusion: “Sanju Samson has been included ahead of Jitesh Sharma, which is fine for Asia Cup. But what happens at the T20 World Cup?”
India began their Asia Cup campaign with a dominant win, defeating UAE in commanding fashion. Their attention has now turned to the blockbuster second group clash against Pakistan, scheduled for September 14 at the Dubai International Stadium. Pakistan will start their Asia Cup campaign 2025 against Oman.