Team India is scheduled to reach Dubai within a couple of days. With the Asia Cup approaching rapidly. There remains uncertainty about who will take on the wicket-keeping duties for India in the tournament. Since Rishabh Pant is unavailable due to injury and Dhruv Jurel is only listed among the reserves. The battle is between Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma.
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Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has expressed that Jitesh appears to be slightly ahead in the selection hierarchy because of his effectiveness and talent while batting lower in the lineup. Jitesh, who played an essential role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 championship run, scored 261 runs at a strike rate of 176 while finishing games.
These performances have made him an obvious candidate for India’s middle order, an area where Samson has experienced inconsistencies. Chopra stated that he believes Jitesh Sharma is possible to feature in the preliminary eleven. He stated there is no need to overthink positions one through three because Jitesh will not be used there.
Instead, his contributions between batting spots four to seven have become significantly stronger. He presently has a strike rate of 166 and an average of 28. In fact, he is the first Indian batter in that range whose strike rate has remained above 150.
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Asia Cup Final: Samson Struggles in the Middle Order
Consequently, when selectors outline the order of preference, Jitesh naturally moves to the front. Chopra shared these views on his personal channel. With Shubman Gill formally helping as the team’s vice-captain, he is nearly certain to open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma. Positions three and four are likely to rotate between Tilak Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
That leaves the fifth batting position as the only realistic slot for Samson, yet it is one where he has played merely 15 times in T20 matches, averaging only 12.00. At the same time, the Indian squad also has Hardik Pandya as a option for the number five position, followed by Jitesh Sharma, who naturally excels as a finisher and could be crucial in pressure moments, mainly if India reaches the Asia Cup Final.
Jitesh possesses the ability to strike quick cameos, such as scoring 20 runs off just five deliveries, something that has not been part of Samson’s core strengths. Chopra also analyzed Samson’s suitability across positions. While Samson’s performance has dipped when pushed lower down the order, the Kerala cricketer has demonstrated remarkable consistency at the top.
During the current Kerala Cricket League, Samson has delivered four consecutive half-centuries for Kochi Blue Tigers, amassing 355 runs at an impressive average of 88.75, which included a 42-ball century. His only failure came when he was pushed to number six, a match where he was also struggling with a fever during the early stages of the KCL 2025 season.
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Asia Cup 2025: Gill-Abhishek Pair Leaves Samson Fighting for Middle-Order Spot
Chopra emphasized that Samson remains a genuine contender because he featured in India’s most recent international series. Over his last 12 matches, Samson has registered three centuries. Looking specifically at his career statistics across positions one to three in T20 cricket, he has scored more than 6,000 runs at a strike rate of 140 and an average of 33.
But when comparing his numbers from positions four to seven, the contrast is clear: across 98 matches, his average stands at 20 with a strike rate of 126, figures that do not inspire much confidence. The statistical evidence paints an obvious picture. Samson consistently flourishes when asked to open.
In 14 T20 internationals at the top, he has accumulated 512 runs at an average of 39.38, striking at 182.20. This includes three centuries in 2024, the most by any Indian in a single year. Despite these achievements, the presence of Shubman Gill as vice-captain and his strong claim to an opening slot may push Samson once again into the middle order.
This situation places the selectors in a difficult position ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. On one hand, Samson’s statistics as an opener highlight his ability to dominate attacks and provide India with explosive starts. On the other hand, the current team structure with Gill and Abhishek Sharma almost locked in as openers leaves little room for him at the top.
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