Sanju Samson should be backed at the top of the order: Ravi Shastri

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-09-08 05:08:04 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-08 21:52:10

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Despite his struggles in the Asia Cup, Ravi Shastri, the former Indian cricket team coach, has backed Sanju Samson to open the batting in India's T20I side, stating that the team management should "leave him alone" in the top order. The think tank has shown a inclination to have Gill eventually lead across all formats.

Ravi Shastri, the former Indian cricket team head coach, has thrown his weight behind Sanju Samson to bat at the top of the order in T20Is. Despite Samson's struggles at the Asia Cup, Shastri believes that the wicketkeeper-batter should be left alone to open the innings without the pressure of shuffling his batting order.

In an interview with SportsToday, Shastri highlighted Samson's impressive domestic records and asserted that the 29-year-old deserves more chances at the top of the order, where he can express his batting prowess freely.

"I think Sanju Samson should be left alone at the top of the order. What he has done in domestic cricket for Rajasthan is miles better than what anybody else has done at the top level," Shastri said.

"So leave him alone, give him a fair run at the top, and hopefully, he will come good. Let him open and bat freely without any pressure."

Samson has struggled with consistency in his short international career so far, averaging less than 10 in 13 matches across formats. However, he has been prolific in the Indian Premier League (IPL), boasting a strike rate of 136.22 and an average of 42.13 from 113 matches.

The thinker tank has other plans and ambitions for the future of Indian cricket which reflects in their decision to promote Gill to the top of the order. The 19-year-old, Shivam Mavi, was also seen as a fresh new prospect that they intend to groom for the future.

The coach's remarks come as the Indian team is undergoing transitional changes with a young squad and new leadership under Rohit Sharma. It will be interesting to see if the team management heeds Shastri's advice and gives Samson an extended run at the top of the order in upcoming T20I series.

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