Irfan Pathan Weighs in on Sanju Samson’s Asia Cup XI Spot
India will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against UAE at Dubai on September 10. The selectors have announced a strong squad featuring in-form stars, but all eyes are on wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, whose place in the playing XI remains under debate. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has now shared his opinion on how Samson could fit into the lineup.
Irfan Pathan on Sanju Samson’s Role
Speaking to Sony Sports Network, Irfan Pathan admitted that Samson may find it difficult to secure a place in the starting XI. He highlighted the challenge posed by the return of Shubman Gill as vice-captain, making competition for the top order even tougher.
“Sanju might not get a place in the Playing XI, it will be hard. But I saw some of the clips where Samson is playing down the order. If he can play down the order, then why not? Play Samson as well in No.5 position. If that happens, then Jitesh Sharma won’t be there,” Pathan said.
Pathan also pointed out Samson’s impressive stint in the Kerala Cricket League, where he scored two centuries and a fifty batting at No.6. Still, he underlined the wicketkeeper’s struggle with consistency.
“It’s a tough one, isn’t it? If you look at it, Sanju has done really well. Obviously there is one question mark in terms of his consistency, like sometimes he is scoring hundreds, other times he is getting out cheaply, and there is a pattern as well, but he has done well,” Pathan added.
India Squad for Asia Cup 2025
Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel.
With Gill returning and Jitesh Sharma also in contention, the management faces a tricky decision ahead of India’s Asia Cup 2025 opener. Samson’s flexibility to bat lower down the order could work in his favor, but his inconsistency remains a concern as highlighted by Pathan.
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