Sanju Samson's omission from the Indian batting order has surprised many, as India has batted first against Bangladesh on Wednesday in their Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash.
India has posted 168 for 6 in their 20 overs against the Tigers at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, driven by a blistering knock from opener Abhishek Sharma. Despite building a strong platform early in the innings, India's middle-order stuttered, allowing Bangladesh to claw their way back into the game.
Abhishek dominated the bowlers from the outset, smashing 75 off just 37 balls with six boundaries and five sixes. The left-hander set the tone for India's innings, finding boundaries at will and racing past fifty before being run out in the 11th over after a mix-up with Hardik
Pandya.
Middle-Order Struggles
What followed was a patchy batting display. Shubman Gill supported Abhishek with a quick 29 off 19 but departed trying to accelerate. A tactical surprise saw Shivam Dube promoted up the order to No. 3, ahead of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, but the move backfired as Dube managed only 2 runs before falling cheaply.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav's struggle continued as he consumed 11 deliveries for just 5 runs, before Mustafizur Rahman dismissed him. Tilak Varma too failed to convert his start, leaving India dependent on Hardik Pandya to carry the charge in the later overs.
Hardik played a measured innings of 38 from 29 deliveries, while Axar Patel had a struggle, as he ended on 10 from 15 balls. The final flourish never came, with Bangladesh bowlers, particularly Rishad Hossain (2/28) and Mustafizur (1/25), applying brakes at key junctures.
Why did Sanju Samson not Bat Today?
Sanju Samson, part of India's playing XI as a specialist batter-wicketkeeper, was surprisingly not sent out to bat despite India losing wickets, as the management opted for a reshuffled order that did not make the most of his finishing abilities. The reshuffle started with Shivam Dube, who was promoted to no. 3, and the likes of Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya got the nod ahead of Sanju.
Samson had a struggle in the Pakistan match, where he scored 13 off 17, but on the basis of that, his demotion in the batting order feels a strange one. Axar Patel, who was handed a no. 7 position, had no rhythm to his inning, scoring at a strike late lower than 70. India have finished 25-35 runs short of the early promise offered by Abhishek's fireworks, and Sanju's omission may come back to bite them.
