Ravichandran Ashwin Advocates Clear Role For Sanju Samson In India's T20I Lineup, Identifies His Ideal Batting Position

Sanju Samson's batting position in the Indian side has been a subject of debate. The CSK star has been in and out of the team, and once again missed out as the management preferred Jitesh Sharma over him against South Africa in the 1st T20I match.

R Ashwin Picks Up Sanju Samson's Perfect Batting Position

Samson had been India's go-to opener, but the return of Shubman Gill hasn't been of much help. Gill has been India's preferred choice in the opening slot, leaving Samson in a spot of bother. The Indian star has been excellent while opening the innings, but recently captain Suryakumar Yadav made it clear that the player has to fight with Jitesh Sharma for a role in the team.

Samson's struggles in the middle order have been pretty evident, and now Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Samson to be India's No.3 going ahead.

On his YouTube channel, he said, "Sanju has not played enough at No.5, and Jitesh Sharma is there in the squad for his finishing abilities. That was the role he played for RCB, so it was always going to be difficult for Sanju. If you are playing Sanju, play him at No.3, use him against spin."

Shubman Gill Conundrum For Sanju Samson

Gill returned to the first T20I after missing out on the ODI series but failed to take up his chances. The T20I vice captain could only manage four runs in two balls before getting dismissed by Lungi Ngidi. But the 26-year-old is likely to be given a long run in the T20I setup until the T20 World Cup. India are set to defend their T20 World Cup crown on home soil and there won't be many changes to the squad.

Also Read: India Encounter Big Problem Ahead Of T20 World Cup 2026, Star Trio In Dire Need To Turn Things Around Prior To Marquee ICC Event

Samson was part of India's winning contingent in 2024 and with the cricketing extravaganza looming on the horizon, he might get very few chances to make his case.

Also Read: "He's A Gentle Senior, Always Very Polite": Arshdeep Singh Lauds His Partnership With Jasprit Bumrah