Sanju Samson Retains Spot in India’s Playing XI for Asia Cup Opener
In a significant move, star wicketkeeper Sanju Samson has held onto his position in India’s lineup for the Asia Cup T20 match against the UAE in Dubai on Thursday. This decision comes despite the return of vice-captain Shubman Gill, who will take his place at the top of the batting order.
India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. He mentioned, “We’ll bowl first. The pitch looks good and it’s quite humid today, which might lead to some dew later. We’ve been here early and had a few productive practice sessions, so we’re ready.”
Samson has formed a strong opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma lately, amassing 267 runs in 12 T20I innings at an impressive strike rate of over 170. The Kerala batsman has scored 861 runs in T20Is at a strike rate of 142, highlighting his contribution as an opener. However, in this match, he will transition to the middle order with Gill returning after a year.
Gill, who boasts 578 T20I runs at a strike rate of 139.29, resumes his duties as vice-captain. His comeback, in tandem with Samson’s recent performances in India’s last series, seems to have justified the lineup changes.
Jitesh Sharma, who impressed during the IPL 2025 season, was left out in favor of the experience Samson brings behind the stumps. Tilak Varma is set to bat at number three, followed by captain Suryakumar Yadav at four, and Samson occupies the fifth slot. The middle and lower order will see contributions from Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel.
On the bowling front, India will depend on specialized spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack, complemented by Arshdeep Singh.
India’s Playing XI for the UAE Match: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Stay tuned for the match highlights!
