Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin commented on Team India’s selection conundrum surrounding the wicketkeeper’s slot ahead of the first T20I against South Africa in Cuttack. With Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma fighting for that one spot in India’s T20I side, with them wanting to lock that place for next year’s T20 World Cup, Ashwin wondered if the leadership group would back the seasoned and proven Samson at number three in the series opener. While Samson was the chosen one since the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, Jitesh took his place during the recently concluded Australia T20Is, holding onto the lower-middle-order spot.
“I want to see if India will give Samson a chance at three, or will they go with Suryakumar and Tilak at three and four. They tried to use Sanju here in Australia. The template had to be changed for Gill came in. Sanju was opening and giving that keeping option. Now that the opening batter and keeper have gone, you are having to accommodate a keeper and finisher down the order. I will be looking forward from India’s perspective, if we are giving role clarity to batters,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Speaking on this high-octane contest, Ashwin said he is looking forward to watching this series against the potent Proteas, knowing how deep they bat and possess a brilliant T20I squad. He, however, also commented on the significance of this series for Team India, which needs to finalise its best 15-16 ahead of the marquee tournament in two months.
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“I am very keen to watch this T20 series. South Africa is one team that can match us in batting power. I also want to see if they can be real contenders going into the World Cup, looking at their bowling. I don’t see much bowling teeth. Whether they can match up to Kuldeep (Yadav), Varun (Chakaravarthy), and (Jasprit) Bumrah throughout the series will give us a fair idea. It is an important series for India as well, because they have to finalise their XI and batting positions and role clarities. We have experimented a lot. We will need some stability,” he added.
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Sanju and Abhishek Sharma broke records and the internet with their marathon knocks during the away South Africa T20Is last year, with everyone backing them to stick together till the 2026 T20 WC. However, Gill’s return to the side changed the equation, with the management forced to make two changes to accommodate Gill, a keeper and a finisher.
Now, with plenty at disposal to take care of, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav commented on this Samson situation, saying, “In terms of Sanju, yes, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher in the order. Other than the openers, I feel everyone has to be very flexible. He did really well when he opened the innings. But Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series. So, he deserved to take that spot.”
India will take on South Africa in the series opener in Cuttack on Tuesday (Dec 9) evening.
