Sanju Samson, who recently struggled in two T20Is against Sri Lanka, is set to open for India in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Samson failed to score in both matches during Gautam Gambhir’s first series as India’s head coach. Despite his poor form, he retained his place in the squad and was confirmed to start under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership in the series opener at the newly constructed New Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, Gwalior, on Sunday (October 6).
With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill rested, Samson will open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, who returns to the team after missing the Sri Lanka series. Samson has played 30 T20Is for India since his debut in 2015, opening in five of those matches. His best performance, a score of 77, also came while opening. He has accumulated 105 runs as an opener across five innings. The series against Bangladesh offers Samson one last chance to secure a permanent spot in India’s T20I side.
Samson, who was part of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad but didn’t play a single match, is being given priority over other wicketkeeper-batters like Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel for this series. The upcoming games could be a defining moment for the 29-year-old right-hander from Kerala, as India will play on batting-friendly pitches in Gwalior, Delhi, and Hyderabad.
espite his attacking batting style, sanju Samson faces stiff competition from players like KL Rahul, Jurel, Ishan Kishan, and Jitesh Sharma for the second wicketkeeper-batter spot in India’s squad. Rishabh Pant remains the first-choice wicketkeeper across all formats. A poor performance in this series could significantly reduce Samson’s chances of making it to India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
