Sanju Samson will surely bat at number 3 or 4, says R Ashwin

As India are likely to announce their Asia Cup squad, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin thinks that Indian management could consider Sanju Samson as a wicketkeeper batter if KL Rahul does not get fit

New Delhi: As India are likely to announce their Asia Cup squad on Monday, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin thinks that Indian management could consider Sanju Samson as a wicketkeeper batter if KL Rahul does not get fit. Ashwin recently said on his YouTube channel that Samson would be given priority ahead of Jitesh Sharma.

“The only way that can happen is if KL Rahul doesn’t get fit, and when they need a keeper, they can open with Ishan Kishan. That’s the only possibility because Shreyas Iyer is one of the go-to players for Team India in ODIs as a batter,” Ashwin said on his YouTube page.

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Sanju Samson failed to impress for India in the recently finished five-match Twenty20 International series against the West Indies National Cricket Team.

Samson scored 12 and 7 in the first two T20Is before being caught for 9-ball 13 in the series finale. The wicketkeeper-batter was listed as No.6 on the squad sheet, but he only batted there once, with his other two innings coming at No.5.

“Jitesh is a right-hander and Rinku is a left-hander. Both Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh are the ones who could fit in the number 5, and 6 roles. However, I feel Sanju Samson will get the nod as the keeper ahead of Jitesh Sharma. The series is an extraordinary chance to play Sanju as a keeper and make him bat at number 3. He will surely bat at number 3 or 4,” he added. “Another debate is on how Sanju Samson is a top-order batter and how he is being wasted as a number 6 in T20Is. See, Team India’s top 4 has been really heavy all this while.”